SOLON — It’s a job Elaine Claude loves to do, but one she wishes didn’t need to be done.

Claude is the Director of the Solon Community Food Pantry, a role she took on back in February. As Director she oversees the daily operations of the Pantry located in the basement of the Solon Methodist Church at 122 N. West St. in Solon.

In addition to overseeing the operations of the Pantry, Claude also manages a crew of volunteers, to whom she gives much credit.

“We’ve got a great group of volunteers, without them we wouldn’t be here. They do a lot of work for us.” That work has increased, she said, from approximately 25 Pantry users to an average of 31.

“Sometimes the same people come in every week and some only come in once or twice a month. So, if everybody came in, we’d have more than 31.” She noted there’s no common denominator as the patrons span all age groups, some are couples, others single, some have children, others do not. Other socioeconomic factors such as employed or unemployed and income levels are not taken into consideration either.

“We don’t dig into all of the details of their home life,” she said. “We don’t know why they’re here, exactly. We don’t ask them if they have a job or not. I don’t feel we need to know all of that information.”

New users do fill out some paperwork with basic information.

It takes a community . . .

Local farmers such as Kroul Farms and Iowa Grown Market (on Newport Road) provide fresh produce to the Pantry, “Which is really nice,” said Claude. The Pantry also receives food through HACAP (Hawkeye Area Community Action Program) and TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) – a federal nutrition program where the USDA purchases healthy foods and other staples (totaling over 120 different items) and then distributes that food to Feeding America network food banks. Iowa City based Table to Table also supplies food by collecting and redistributing food that otherwise would go to waste.

“They (Table to Table) give us fresh fruit, meals, bread, pastries, and milk,” she said. “And then we also get some meat from Field to Family.” Field to Family, also based in Iowa, acts as a local food hub. Members of the community also bring in donations of food, cash, and gift cards. Local groups and organizations also hold a variety of food drives to support the Pantry throughout the year. For example Solon Scout Troop 120 held a community-wide food drive last month where they asked residents to place non-perishable food in bags on their doorstep for the Scouts to collect. Troop 120 was able to bring 1,668.8 lbs. of food plus a $60 Venmo donation and a gift card to Sam’s Main Street Market.

“The schools do a lot for us too, and the Library. It’s just a whole-community thing.”

Ways to help

Inventory on the Pantry’s shelves is always fluid, a recent large influx of peanut butter and canned tuna has, for now, crossed those items off of the Pantry’s want list for example. Typically, nonperishable food items such as canned chicken, canned fruit, ramen noodles, mac and cheese, Hamburger Helper®-type boxed meals, cereals, soups, and toilet paper are in great demand.

The Pantry also has a plethora of carrot and green bean products on their shelves. Canned carrots, green beans, peas, and corn are often inexpensive and thus very attractive for people to buy and donate, she explained.

“We could use beans (other than green beans), corn, toilet paper, paper towels, and soap.”

Some hunters may want to donate deer meat, however it must go through a processor such as Ruzicka’s in Solon. “We can’t just take it from someone who wants to donate it.” She added she’s fielded calls recently from people wanting to donate hams and turkeys for the upcoming holiday season, “Which is fine because they’re all coming through a store or meat processor like Ruzicka’s. As long as it comes through somewhere like that, then we’re OK to take it.”

The Pantry also gratefully accepts monetary donations and/or gift cards with which to purchase additional groceries to keep the shelves well-stocked.

A new location, someday?

“I would love to find a new home for the Pantry,” Claude said. While she and her predecessors have appreciated the grace and hospitality of the church, the steep stairs leading down to the Pantry are a challenge to some patrons and a barrier to others. “We really could benefit from a new location. The stairs are a problem.” In the meantime Claude is exploring the possibility of having a stairlift chair installed. Pantry volunteers help patrons by carrying groceries for them, she noted. “I don’t want people to not visit here because of the stairs. I don’t want them to think that they can’t come in because of those stairs.”

With the City in need of a new location for a community center within the next few years due to the Solon Community School District’s plan to demolish the former high school/middle school (site of the current Community Center), groups such as the Solon Senior Support and Solon Senior Advocates have made their desire for a Senior Center, or dedicated space for Solon’s seniors in a new community center. It has also been suggested such a facility could house the Pantry as well. At this time though, there are no plans for a new facility.

Pantry hours and contact information

The Pantry is open 2-6:00 p.m. Mondays.

Donations are accepted Monday mornings or can be placed in the donation box outside.

For questions or more information call 319-321-5232 or email [email protected] or message the Pantry via the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ solonfoodpantry.

The mailing address is P.O. box 582, Solon, IA, 52333.

“If people want to donate or volunteer, we can always use the help,” said Claude.