With 2022 now behind us, the Homer Community Food Pantry would like to give thanks to the numerous supporters of the pantry. We launched a fall canned food drive and the response was remarkable!
Schools got into the “spirit” of things by participating in The Great Pumpkin Pantry. Fireweed Academy, Paul Banks and West Homer were so proud of their cache. In December, Homer High hosted a challenge between the grades with vertical bins displaying each classes progress in cans. McNeal Canyon also participated with their annual Christmas bag and food drive. It’s wonderful that students learn at an early age of the importance and value of helping others in need. We are so grateful!
Businesses who participated in the drive were: Land’s End, Homer Axe House, Homer Cub Scouts 555, the Girl Scouts, Uncle Herbs, Cosmic Seaweed Cannabis Co., Gear Shed, Mike Illg and the U.S. Coast Guard. Alice’s had a Thanksgiving Market initiated by Metis Quoi. It was a pop-up artist show along with a canned food drive and donations to HCFP. Kharacters also displayed a donation Grinch jar and collected canned goods! Kachemak Bay Campus collected canned items. South Peninsula Hospital and Homer Medical challenged their staff to collect a ton of food items. They surpassed their goal, collecting around 13,000 pounds! Thank you Derotha and Homer Medical.
In November Sherry Stead and Glacier Brewing hosted two events with the Food Pantry being the recipient of the funds that were collected. The Empty, Empty Bowl is an annual event in which local potters donate their pottery bowls. This garnered over $4,000 dollars in sales. The potters that contributed were: Paul Duggan, Ahna Iredale, David Kaufman, Ruby Haigh, Marie Herdegren, Maygen Lotscher, Cynthia Morelli and Jeff Scalzi. We had 73 bowls donated and the response from the community was so generous! Thank you potters! The following evening Bruce Robinson, a wood-smith, presented for First Friday with a variety of his wooden bowls and plates. Those proceeds were split with the Hockey Assoc and HCFP.
Not only have we had canned goods donated to the pantry but every year Homer Jeans has a coat drive. Those who donate coats get a discount from our beloved Homer Jeans! Our patrons at the Food Pantry are thrilled to receive a nearly new coat. Thank you Lesley and Homer Jeans!
Carri Thurman, Tara Findlay and Sharon Roufa have been donating their famous Two Sister’s bread to the Food Pantry since April 2020. We cannot begin to tell you how much we look forward to this weekly treat!
We’d also like to extend a warm paw to the Homer Animal Friends. In conjunction with our Homer Community they have donated over 1,500 pounds of pet food. We divide it into gallon bags and distribute it to our clients. We give out a lot of dog and cat food. HAF you are grrreat!
Every week we are proud to provide valuable protein at the pantry. Thank you: McNeil Canyon Meats for the butchering and processing of moose that you provide! Salmon Sisters donates pallets of fresh fish as does Homer Fish Processors. It is such a treat to be gifted fresh seafood!
Shade Ranch, Faith Shade and Bob Allen have donated high-quality hamburger and pork. We give them boxes of scrap to help feed their animals. Nothing goes to waste at the pantry. It’s a win, win!
Since the beginning of the pandemic and with the rising costs of food our monetary needs have risen substantially. We’d like to thank the many churches who have donated: Church on the Rock, St Augustine, Glacier View Baptist, Homer United Methodist and Regent Life. Alaska USA presented HCFP with a $2,000 check. Sons of the American Legion continues to help us! Suzie Quinn with Petro Marine presented us with a check for over $17,000. We are absolutely humbled!
Every Monday the Homer Community Food Pantry serves between 120 to 150 families, totaling 500-700 people. More families are signing up weekly. We deliver monthly boxes across the bay and serve as far up the road as Ninilchik. We hand out 1,000 cans of food a week. The need is there and rising. If you’d like to make an on-line donation to the Food Pantry or volunteer to help, go to our website at homerfoodpantry.org or you can call 907-235-1968 or email homerfoodpantry@gmail.com. We are located at 770 East End Road, Homer, Alaska 99603.
Homer, we appreciate you and all you do for HCFP. We are here for each other, providing food and emergency assistance, with compassion. Sincerely,
Deb Schmidt
