Zion Lutheran’s Personal Essentials Pantry: Serving Struggling Households in Dane County

By Dale Mitchell for Madison Commons. “This is a need that has been left off the radar,” Christine Thompson says simply. As coordinator of Zion Lutheran’s Personal Essentials Pantry, she has seen how huge the need is for items like dish soap, laundry detergent, personal care and hygiene items. People on food stamps don’t get money for these things. Food pantries are limited by shelf space and donations in what they can provide. Personal care items are a “blind spot” in most social service planning, with agencies placing greater emphasis on food, clothing, and shelter.

A cut on your hand can become an infection if you don’t have soap. Not being able to wash your clothes or dishes can also make you more vulnerable to disease or aggravate health conditions. Not being able to brush your teeth can make you more prone to dental and health problems. Not having basic hygiene products like shampoo or deodorant will make it hard for you to get or keep a job. While $18 - $25 of personal care or cleaning items over a month seems a small investment, many just can’t afford it.

PEP had its humble origins in a Zion discussion group that meets after the 9:15 a.m. worship service. Discussion group members wanted to apply biblical teachings to today’s problems. Food pantries provide food. But what about the unmet needs of those on fixed or low incomes who couldn’t afford toilet paper, shampoo, deodorant, dish & laundry soaps, feminine hygiene products or diapers? The best guess was maybe 25 families in the Atwood area neighborhood might need this help. Little did they know that up to 800 households from as far away as Palmyra would come to rely on PEP, and over $2500 of goods would be distributed monthly over the next year and a half.

The growth of PEP has outpaced available resources. The Zion Lutheran and Bread of Life Churches have provided many of the items and volunteer help needed to run the twice weekly pantry distribution. But the current need is projected to be $100,000 or greater in the coming year. Last year, in kind donations were about $15,000.

Community Action Coalition coordinates the Dane County Food Pantry Network of 47 pantries throughout the county. According to Chris Brockel of CAC, 2007 statistics indicate 85,000 households representing 246,500 individuals were served by this network. The record-keeping is not able to tease out multiple visits by the same families to the same or different pantries. Brockel indicates that “according to a survey done in October 2006, 65 percent of families visiting food pantries have at least one family member working. When you take seniors and those unable to work out of the denominator, this number is amazingly high and demonstrates that working folks cannot make it in our country on the wages they are being paid.”

PEP is in the process of becoming a member of the Dane County Food Pantry Network coordinated by CAC, which would allow the program to receive supplies from the CAC warehouse. Chris Brockel says upon becoming a member of DCFPN, “It is safe to say that what we have in personal and household items will be made available to PEP, but these items are limited.”

PEP is currently supported by donations from Zion And Bread of Life Church members, CAC, Thrivent for Lutherans and the community. Persons or groups who would like more information, or who are interested in collecting cash or personal care items for PEP should contact Christine Thompson (phone 608-241-1847; email essentialspantry@tds.net).

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Read at Source:   Madison Commons

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