House of Hope Food Pantry in Keeseville now open

KEESEVILLE | A new community food pantry is now open inside the Front Street Fellowship - House of Hope, and Parker and Danielle O'Mara are ready to help serve those in need of assistance. The food pantry is open every Monday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., which can be accessed through the back entryway at 1724 Front St. It is run out of the upstairs kitchen. However, those unable to climb the stairs can still stop by the fellowship, and groceries will be brought down to them. Upon arrival, guests will receive a grocery bag or several, depending on their family size. Then they'll be able to fill those bags with a variety of non-perishable items, including condiments, canned vegetables, jarred sauces, boxed pasta, peanut butter, and jelly. There's also a variety of paper products, hygiene essentials, and dog food, too. "Someone ran it out of the church before. I'm not sure what happened with that, but when the Front Street Fellowship reached out asking if people were interested in relaunching it, we volunteered," Parker said. "We figured it was a good idea because there's a great need in the community, and we wanted to try to help meet those needs." "It just felt like the right thing to do," Danielle added. "And we just said, 'Let's try this. Let's get this back off the ground and get this moving again.'" For guidance and inspiration, the O'Maras visited the community food bank at St. James Episcopal Church's parish hall in Au Sable Forks, which opened to the public late last year. Since then, the food pantry has run several times. Each time, the O'Maras have tracked the number of people coming in and the number of bags going out. No other personal data is collected. "It's a pretty simple operation right now, as we're just getting the word out and trying to keep tabs on what people want and need," said Parker. "But we hope to be able to expand." For instance, the O'Maras hope to start offering perishable food at the pantry, but to do so, they'll need a proper refrigeration and freezer system. The O'Maras also would like to open the food pantry more than once a week, but to do so, more volunteers are needed. Donations, both physical and monetary, are also being accepted and are greatly appreciated at this time. Non-perishable food items, hygiene products, and paper goods are welcome, while perishable items cannot be accepted at this time. "There's a great need here in the community. There are many people struggling financially. Prices are rising, and everything is just getting more and more expensive," Parker said. "People just need a little extra boost, and that's what we hope to provide once a week." Those wishing to make a donation of any kind are welcome to swing by the Front Street Fellowship - House of Hope on Monday evenings. For more information, visit frontstreetfellowship.org.

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House of Hope Food Pantry in Keeseville now open

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