Grace Lutheran Food Pantry open Friday mornings
Have you heard the term “food insecurity”? It’s a term, and a problem, that should not be a factor in this, the world’s richest economy. It pretty much means “going hungry.”
For many reasons, including the awful pandemic, it has become a serious problem in Oak Ridge. While there are federal programs designed to help, there are many hungry households that don’t qualify, and which rely on local food banks and food pantries for survival.
It is estimated that in the United States, 42 million people, including 13 million children, are experiencing food insecurity.
Grace Lutheran Church, located in the Oak Ridge Woodland neighborhood, is one of several churches and other local organizations supporting food pantries.
Grace Lutheran partners with Second Harvest of East Tennessee to stock its food pantry. Panera Bread of Oak Ridge generously donates bread and pastries. Additionally, toiletry items are donated or purchased locally. Generous contributions from Grace church members, other local churches, and the community have come together to provide support. Grace members and volunteers from other churches also help with staffing.
The Grace pantry hours are 10 a.m. to noon every Friday. Clients are limited to one visit per month. Due to the pandemic, the pantry converted to drive-through pickup, with food delivered to each car, and that procedure is being continued.
For more information, call the church office (865) 483-3787 Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or visit the website www.graceoakridge.org.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Grace Lutheran Food Pantry open Friday mornings
