Help Bedfordview’s pantry grow

The Pantry, hosted by Bedfordview Methodist Church, feeds 30 families twice a month.

ALSO READ: Bedfordview Methodist Church a helping hand in pandemic

With 10 families on the waiting list, The Pantry needs assistance from the community.

To date, the outreach programme has been able to support its registered families through the generosity of parishioners at the church.

Women’s ministry member and operational head at the initiative Jenny Selby said The Pantry and the church’s weekly soup kitchen have been blessed with assistance from Edenvale’s Khanyisa Soup Kitchen.

“Without them, we and many other organisations in neighbouring areas would not be able to help the volume of people that we do,” she said.

“We have been very blessed. When we started, many years ago, we were only handing out sandwiches and sometimes soup.”

While not much has changed since it was launched, homeless and needy individuals are now served sandwiches every day, soup or a stew and starch every Thursday.

“At one time we were serving 70 people for our weekly meals,” Jenny said.

ALSO READ: Volunteers needed at Edenvale Methodist Church vaccination site

Then the pandemic hit and the church became a food depot for those in need. While the initiative didn’t last, The Pantry still serves warm meals to around 50 people every week.

Additionally, the initiative supports 30 families with food parcels twice a month.

“During the first week of the month, with the help of East Rand Listing Service, each registered family is given 10kg of maize meal.

“Two weeks later the families receive a hamper consisting of 2-minute noodles, two packets of soup, a tin of pilchards, beans and soy mince as well as a bar of soap.

“It’s not much but these incredible families make it last until they get more food,” Jenny said.

With the support of Khanyisa, which delivers 2l ice-cream tubs of food every week, the soup kitchen and The Pantry have been able to continue their service to those less fortunate.

With the donations available, The Pantry and soup kitchen makes do.

“When warm clothes are available they are distributed. In winter many people clean out their summer clothes and donate them to us and in summer we have an influx of winter clothes. We always find somewhere for these items to go,” Jenny said.

“Many of those who visit the feeding schemes live in informal settlements in Primrose.”

With 10 families on the waiting list for the feeding scheme, The Pantry needs help from the community.

Jenny believes she was touched by God years ago and has a special place in her life and heart for children and animals.

She also works with vulnerable children in Thokoza.

Jenny, who works closely with the families and communities she helps, said she’s been into areas and experienced poverty like most people would never see.

“This is part of my life. I wouldn’t know what to do without it.”

The initiative received a boost when Village View Shopping Centre chose it as a beneficiary for its Mandela Day drive.

Donation trolleys were placed outside Checkers and residents were encouraged to drop off donations of food and blankets.

Jenny’s dream is to see The Pantry overflow.

Donations of any tinned foods or starches can be dropped off at the Bedfordview Methodist Church.

Jenny and her team also require 1l yoghurt tubs which are used to serve warm meals.

Financial donations are welcomed but residents can donate anything that can be used.

Jenny tries to include toiletries into her monthly hampers. Any donations we receive we can use to help those less fortunate.

For more information contact Jenny on 083 628 5356.

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