Helping families throughout Cape

Judy’s Produce Pantry, operating in Fellowsnhip Hall of our church, combined with another special project this Thanksgiving week to provide holiday dinners for many Cape Elizabeth families.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Nancy Miles and the pantry volunteers prepared more than 30 bags of produce from Jordan’s Farm to provide to the individuals and families who come to the pantry each week. Each produce bag, colorfully decorated by Girl Scouts, included apples, squash, onions, potatoes and carrots.

In addition to the bags of produce, each of the pantry clients received a turkey and a basket full of Thanksgiving sides, including stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin filling and rolls. The turkeys and sides were compliments of a Cape food drive led by Jen Tinsman and Amy Lombardo. Jen and Amy contacted parents throughout the Cape School district for donations of the Thanksgiving meals. Thirty-six of those meals were delivered to the pantry at the church.

Jen is the granddaughter-in-law of Ginny Jordan.

One of the food baskets delivered to the pantry by Jen Tinsman and Amy Lombardo.

In addition to the 36 food baskets delivered to the pantry, the Cape food drive had another 120 baskets in Jen’s barn on Old Ocean House Road for Opportunity Alliance families. And beyond the generosity of the baskets, some were specially prepared for people who have food allergies or who are vegetarians.

Amy Lombardo and Jen Tinsman at the pantry with the fruits of their food drive.

And there was still more. Volunteers at the pantry and some members of our church prepared homemade zucchini breads and other holiday treats for each of the pantry clients.

The food pantry will be closed on Dec. 3 and 10, but will reopen on Dec. 17 for a special Christmas offering, primarily non-perishable items along with cookies and punch.

The pantry will be closed on Dec. 24, but will reopen on Dec. 31. In the new year, the pantry will be open on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month through the winter and spring, from 2-4 p.m. The pantry will return to an every Tuesday scheule in the summer.

Donations of non-food products are needed for the Dec. 17 offering. Please bring what you can to the church and leave them in Fellowship Hall in the shopping cart. Items needed include cans of tuna, jars of peanut butter, boxes or containers of pasta, salad dressing, cereals, canned fruit and vegetables, and tomato or pasta sauces.

Volunteers at the pantry for the special Thanksgiving offering included (left to right) Nancy Johnson, Debbie Cavanaugh, Donna Savage, Mary Murray Coleman, Janet Villiotte and Nancy Miles.