Dec. 21, 2009 issue
Patchwork ministers to body and soul
By Jim BishopPage:
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HARRISONBURG, Va. — Christmas is an especially busy time for Patchwork Pantry. Located at Community Mennonite Church, Patchwork normally distributes about 1,000 pounds of food to local people each week.
From left, Sheri Hartzler, Patchwork Pantry director, and volunteers Carmen Wyse, Marsha Kanagy and Lara Gautsche bag apples to distribute to clients. — Photo by Jim Bishop
They expect traffic to increase as the holiday nears.
“What continues to surprise me is that roughly half the people who show up at Patchwork Pantry have no income, period,” said Sheri Hartzler, who started the pantry in 1992.
“Our mission is to help people in the community who have a basic need, to listen to them if they want to talk and to show the love of Christ.”
The program has been an ecumenical effort from the start, today supported by six local churches and businesspeople. Much of the food comes from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in Verona, supplemented by donated items from congregations and individuals. Students from the social work program at Eastern Mennonite University are regular volunteers.
This summer was a busy time, too: From May through September, 452 volunteers worked 865 hours to give food to 1,132 households. The average number of households coming to the pantry each week was 56, for a total of 4,286 people.
“More food pantries have opened in the central Valley area, which makes some assume that has lowered the number of individuals and families we serve,” Hartzler said. “But that’s not the case.”
The pantry operates from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday nights, and the numbers of people who show up means there are lines.
Many children accompany the adults, and little bodies have problems sitting patiently. A recent development, Patchwork Kids, is helping to remedy this situation.
Joyce Peachy Lind of Community Mennonite Church organizes a rotation of churches on a monthly basis for the Patchwork Kids program. Volunteers play games or lead crafts activities with the youngsters while parents are being interviewed and receiving food.
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