In Alden, seven lovely ladies, including food pantry coordinator Pat Kielsmeier, came to greet us and unload six cases of pork loins at the Alden Food Pantry.
With eight consistent volunteers that run the pantry, these ladies have quite a bit on their plate feeding 30 to 35 families amounting to 110 to 130 individuals. Serving the families of the Alden School District, the pantry is open three days a week for people to come in and get what they need. “Each family gets a list of items they can get and this depends on their family size,” said Pat.
Pat and her volunteers receive some donations from the community and order from the Food Bank of Iowa in order to keep their shelves full.
“This year, we were not able to get any meat from the Food Bank of Iowa, so to get this pork donated for free is truly amazing, we’re so grateful,” said Pat. “We have families that have said without this pantry and this donation, they wouldn’t have had a Thanksgiving dinner… and that’s how you know it’s helping people. And the families really appreciate it.”
