Residents receiving the food can also contribute to the pantry by donating boxes, plastic and paper bags.
Getting food from our Program Partner, Our Lady of Fatima Food Pantry, into households takes a lot of manpower, deliveries, and of course, donated food items.
The pantry started serving families 13 years ago. “It really helps them. People really enjoy what they get and they know its hard work and not an easy job,” the supervisor, Maryline, shared.
Residents receiving the food can also contribute to the pantry by donating boxes, plastic and paper bags to hold all the food that is given out to community members each week.
On a recent trip, our staff visited the weekly pantry in Chinle, AZ on the Navajo Nation. It was apparent that boxes were an important part of packing each item into sturdy cardboard to keep the food safe until it made its way into the homes of Chinle residents. Maryline shared that they served 600 people during the week of Easter, which was 100 over what they typically serve.
Each family was allowed two boxes of donated items a month. Then, a special “surprise” box called TFAC could be collected once a month. The donations come from PWNA through our Southwest Reservation Aid™ (SWRA) program and other agencies supporting food distribution systems on tribal lands.
There were easily ten people working and volunteering the day we dropped in on them. We enjoyed visiting with everyone involved in getting the food out to the community.
Thank you for helping to make this service possible!