LANCE GAITHER

lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

The New Hope Food Pantry in Danville has been struggling to maintain inventory of supplies.

Volunteers at the pantry say that they first began to see a slow down of donations at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic early in 2020, and inflation that is hitting people in the wallet is making it even harder to stay funded.

“That is something people need to know,” said volunteer Rose Daugherty. “We are struggling, people are struggling because of the panedmic and food prices.”

The supplies that the pantry is most struggling to maintain are perishable goods such as meat, eggs and milk.

Despite the difficult times, the pantry is still bringing out the best in people. Volunteer Doe Scott said that when she was giving a testimony about God and her life to a neighbor, it came up that she has been a volunteer at the pantry for 12 years. A neighbor then provided her a monetary donation, and she took it to Save-A-Lot to purchase supplies. The manager offered Scott a discount after learning she was buying food for the pantry. As a result, she was able to purchase 50 gallons of milk and 25 tubs of margarine through the neighbor’s donation.

“It was the Lord that gave us that deal,” Scott said. “We couldn’t have done it otherwise.”

The pantry doesn’t just provide food to those in need. With the upcoming holiday season, they are accepting donations of Christmas gifts and baking supplies. If you would like to make a donation to the pantry, a drop box for dry goods is outside. If you would like to provide a monetary donation, perishable goods, or would like to become a volunteer, you can contact Victoria Timberlake at 859-319-0263