HONESDALE, PA — During the holiday season, we’re often thinking about food. Thanksgiving meals. Festive parties. Plates of cookies which appear in our offices and schools. 

But regardless of season, some people are forced to ALWAYS think about food. About 15 percent of Americans suffer from “food insecurity.” They’re persistently hungry and unsure of where that next meal will come from. An unexpected life disturbance—maybe a medical emergency, car accident or divorce—can wreak havoc with their ability to make ends meet. 

Fortunately, there are people and organizations to lend a hand. In our area, the Wayne County Food Pantry System works to make lives in the county just a little more secure. 

The county food pantry operates out of a converted warehouse in Honesdale. This facility is both a food pantry (distributing food directly) and a food bank (organizing and packaging food to be distributed from other sites around Wayne County). 

On the second Tuesday of each month, cars and pickups snake around the side of the warehouse in two lanes. Volunteers direct the cars through the building a few at a time. Inside, boxes and bags of groceries are loaded into the vehicles, which then exit out the other side. The stream of cars and trucks remains constant for the monthly three hours of operation.

The facility is busy for the rest of the month as well. The Wayne County Food Pantry receives food from several sources. These include large federally funded food banks, local farms and donations from the community. In season, Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus and Far Away Farm in Cherry Ridge provide a variety of produce through a “farm to family” program. Creamworks Creamery in Waymart regularly supplies milk. 

This food is packed into bags and boxes by volunteers. Participants in the program pick up goods at the Honesdale facility and at four other sites around Wayne County. (The other sites are located in Damascus, Lakeville, Lakewood and Newfoundland.)

The main food pantry also distributes food through area crisis centers, churches and hospitals. In October, it provided food to over 500 families.

Contributions from the Home Depot Foundation have allowed the Wayne County Food Pantry to purchase freezers, trucks and forklifts. At the main facility, it’s easy to see where this equipment comes in handy. A portion of the large warehouse looks like a typical big box store. Pallets of boxes and supplies line the walls, with industrial shelves reaching the top of the high ceiling. Some of the boxes contain newly arrived canned goods, while others are filled with up to 30 pounds of groceries.

In addition to food, the food pantry dispenses other supplies: personal hygiene products, pots and utensils for “starter kitchens,” maybe even a small fridge or microwave for people temporarily housed in motel rooms. These additional items greatly benefit persons who’ve recently lost their homes, or those transitioning from homelessness to shelters.

Clarissa Wimmers is the director of the Wayne County Food Pantry System. She emphasized that the success of the program is “all about collaboration.” Supplies and money come from federal, state and local agencies. Local farmers provide fresh produce. And scores of volunteers pack and deliver provisions. 

Many businesses and government agencies volunteer not just money, but their employees’ time. The local Home Depot offers its construction expertise. Aqua, the regional water utility, recently helped out during the last pickup day, as did the Wayne County Human Resources Center. 

When customers check out at Dave’s Super Duper grocery in Honesdale, they’re asked if they’d like to “round up” their bill to the nearest dollar. That extra money goes to the food program. Collaboration is key to the food pantry system.

If you’re experiencing food insecurity yourself, or would like to help someone who is, contact the Wayne County Food Pantry System through the county website at www.waynecountypa.gov/169/Food-Pantry-Program. You also can call 570/253-4262. Staff and volunteers can help you through the application process.

There are similar programs in neighboring counties. The Ecumenical Food Pantry of Pike County is based in Milford and serves the surrounding area. 

Residents of Sullivan County, NY should download a copy of Sullivan 180’s Community Resource Guide (www.sullivan180.org/community-resource-guide). There you’ll find food resources and a listing of over 30 food pantry sites across Sullivan County.

If you want a list of what’s available in the entire region, visit www.riverreporter.com/stories/food-pantries-in-sullivan-county-ny-and-wayne-and-pike-counties-pa,40927.