The Morrison Friends Food Pantry has been around since 1985. Director Phyllis Fell went to the Morrison Ministers Council asking them to back her on opening a community food pantry. The churches would help oversee, with Fell assisting to help feed the less-fortunate of our community. It was originally housed in a closet in the basement of City Hall. Then, it moved to an empty Sunday school room in Morrison United Methodist Church. Phyl Fell was a member there since she moved to town in 1952. It is presently located in the upstairs of United Methodist Church, 200 W. Lincolnway, Morrison, IL, in adjoining rooms 203 and 205. People use the N. Knox Street entrance, leading up the steps to the 21 foot x 21 foot room. It holds two refrigerator/freezers, a chest freezer, and several shelving units, as well as tables, to check clients in and to box/bag foodstuffs for the families.
The pantry’s usual hours of operation are non-holiday Thursday mornings, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Beginning in February 2017, the pantry will offer one Saturday morning per month, in order to accommodate those who work during the weekdays. Clients are still allowed to come to the pantry once a month, whether it is a Thursday morning or a Saturday morning.
“The Ministers Council asked us last year to consider being open one evening or one Saturday morning per month, in order to reach those who cannot come to the pantry on weekday mornings. This request was also in consideration of volunteers who go to school or work, but want to come help out.”
Current Pantry Director, Kaywyn Beswick reports that they were recently approached by a small group from one of the pantry’s supporting churches. They wanted to volunteer on a Saturday morning. The light bulb went on, and the Saturday Morning Pantry hours were established. The small group met on Saturday, January 14, for an “orientation day.” They toured the pantry, to become familiar with how the pantry runs, what happens when clients come in, and how we facilitate helping the less-fortunate of our community.
Getting the word out to current and potential food pantry clients is the purpose of this article. Beswick plans to attending the next School Board meeting, to have the schools facilitate communicating the extended pantry hours to people who are not being served.
Picture are members of “The DO-ers” from Crossroads Community Church. They will volunteer on the one Saturday per month when the pantry will open for two hours. From left-to-right in the front row are Nadine “Dee” Morgan, Javier Carreno, and Audie Roselieb; in the back row are Randy Muur, Kris Muur, and Phyllis Douglas.
