Solon Pack 120 and Scout Troop 120 delivered 1,787.8 pounds of food and $250 to the Solon Food Pantry Saturday, October 25 at the conclusion of their annual nationwide Scouting for Food event. Scouts placed door hangers throughout the community the week prior and spent the morning collecting food that had been set out in bags and boxes.

For Elaine Claude, Director of the pantry, the boost couldn’t have come at a better time with the federal government shutdown and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits being cut off Saturday, Nov. 1.

“There are impacts,” said Claude, “and we are seeing a jump in the number of people coming to the pantry. Any food and juice donations would be helpful as well as paper and hygiene products.”

Claude said the most common needs are drinks (juices, bottled water), ketchup, mustard, mayo, soups of any kind (but especially the “chunky” soups), saltine crackers, canned meats, ramen noodles, hamburger and tuna helpers, Velveeta® cheese, jams or jellies, shelf-stable milks (almond or oat), boxed potatoes (au gratin, scalloped, or julienne), pancake mix and syrup, sugar, cereal (not Cheerios® or Life®, however), and paper products.

The pantry is in the lower level of the Solon United Methodist Church, 122 N. West St. and is open Mondays, 2-6:00 p.m. Donations are accepted Mondays, 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Call 319-321-5232 for more information.