Pitman Food Pantry Shuts Down After Not Having Enough To Feed Families
PITMAN, N.J. (CBS) -- Food pantries are a lifeline to people in need. One in South Jersey shut down because it didn't have enough food to feed families.
The director says she is hoping to fill the pantry quickly and keep an overflow of inventory to avoid this from happening again.
Shelf after shelf, empty. It's a sight Elissa Darrow never thought she would see.
"You feel bad for these families," she said.
Darrow is the director of Angels Community Outreach in Pitman, which provides clothes, food, and toiletries to families in need. But recently the pantry ran out of food.
"I have to be the one to say you can't get food this week," Darrow said. "You are a senior citizen but I don't have any food for you or I can't help feed your kids this week."
Darrow posted to Facebook, writing "Please help ..Sadly this is the first time I have ever had to do this. Unfortunately, we have to close our food pantry until we can fill our shelves."
She says it's heartbreaking as many families heavily rely on them.
"And you can hear it in their voices, they are scared, they do not have anything. We have a couple families living in cars. They have no food," Darrow said.
Immediately after the Facebook post, donations started pouring in, even from Amazon. Darrow hopes they keep on coming.
"See things on the shelves but as soon as it comes in it goes right out the door," Darrow said.
Darrow says inflation and high prices have made it difficult to keep the pantry stocked. It's doing a number on families trying to stay above water.
"It's not because their parents aren't working, the parents are working full-time jobs but minimum wage so they are not going to get out of that hole," Darrow said.
She wants people to know even the smallest donation makes a difference.
"It just adds up to be a lot," Darrow said.
Darrow says since donations are coming in, they hope to reopen sometime next week. If you would like to donate, click here.
