Pantry Coordinator Nancy Miles and her volunteers prepare fresh produce on a recent Tuesday afternoon.

Height of the season

With its donations of fresh produce from Cape farms. two community gardens and some local residents, Judy’s Pantry is in full swing for its summer clients.

The pantry is open every Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. in the Sunshine Room of our church for Cape residents looking for better food to make healthy meals.

Pantry Coordinator Nancy Miles reports the Cape farms at Jordan’s, Green Spark and Alewive’s, in addition to the two community gardens, in recent weeks have provided lettuce, potatoes, corn, beets, beans, zucchini and summer squash, cucumbers and some more unusual items such as garlic scapes, kohlrabi, and bok choi.

The pantry this summer is serving 30-35 families each week and 45 households overall — some do not come every week.

Even with fresh produce now available, the pantry still needs our help with providing non-perishable items as often as possible, such as cans of tuna, boxes or containers of pasta, juices, peanut butter, salad dressing, cereals, canned fruit, cleaning products, tomato or pasta sauces, paper products, and pet food.

Please bring your donations to the church and leave them in the shopping cart in Fellowship Hall.

Fresh cut flowers arrangements also are available each week from the pantry’s “flower ladies,” more than enough for each client to receive one.

Participants at the pantry include those on Social Security or disability fixed incomes, single parents with children, large families with a number of children, and those who have lost jobs or who have high medical expenses.