Reflections contributor
and special friend, Nina Andry, was featured this week in an online newspaper
that hailed the fine work she and other volunteers do at the Newmarket Food
Pantry in Newmarket, NH.
Feeding people and pets is one of her passions. Bless you Nina, for doing God’s work.
Feeding people and pets is one of her passions. Bless you Nina, for doing God’s work.
by
Kathryn Briden
newsletter@seacoastonline.com
October
08, 2013 2:00 AM
NEWMARKET — At the Newmarket
Food Pantry, the shelves of the small front room are stocked like a miniature
grocery store and people are waiting outside for their turn to choose from
them.
But, like many food pantries
across the state, the shelves are struggling to stay full. Nina Andry, the manager of
the food pantry, goes through the list of items they're always short on: canned
chicken, canned fruit, peanut butter, cereal, pasta, spaghetti, and sauce are
at the top of the list.
"Its fall, and a lot of
people are looking for soup," she said. Other items, like toilet paper,
are always in high demand as well.
The pantry has a dedicated
set of volunteers that typically come in an hour before the pantry opens to
sort through a shipment of items from Panera Bread in Portsmouth, and they all
separate and bag bagels and assorted breads to be distributed.
"It's a passion of
mine" Andry said. "It's one of my passions to feed people."
Andry is also proud of the
small pet pantry area, where cans of dog and cat food are displayed."Everybody
needs help, not just people," she said.
"We have a few people
who bring food every week, some who bring bags here and there when they
can." Andry said the pantry, which is located in the basement of the
Newmarket Community Church, is working hard to get the word out about its presence
in the community. She acknowledged that times are tough and the pantry could
always use more donations.
Kathy Harter, a volunteer
from Newmarket, says the pantry gets a lot of its supplies from the New
Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester, which is also struggling to keep its shelves
full. "It's a lot of work to do a food bank run," Harter said,
"and that's assuming they even have it." Andry said bags will go out
to some neighborhoods this week and will be collected on Saturday, Oct. 12.
This effort will go on for the next few weeks, with collection day always being
a Saturday, according to Andry.
The pantry is kicking off
their Neighborhood Food Drive this week. During this food drive, paper bags
will be dropped off in neighborhoods, and then collected on a designated date.
The project is designed to be more convenient for people looking to donate.
"We're hoping that it
might take off," Andry said. "What's good about it is residents don't
have to do a whole lot, we supply the bag and drop and pick it up. All they
have to do is put some stuff inside the bag... We're just working really hard
to get the word out."
Harter emphasize the human
aspect of what they do. It's important to always "treat people like
people," Harter says. "Why not make it nice for them? Everyone has a
story, and a smile and a laugh can go a long way."
Joan Dickerson, a Newmarket
resident, says she's been coming to the pantry once a week for eight or nine
years. She says she always knows how she's going to be treated when she comes
to get her groceries. "Everyone has a great sense of humor, and is very
conscious of what you need." The Newmarket Food Pantry is open 10-12 a.m.
Fridays and Saturdays. For more information about donations or volunteering,
please call the Newmarket Community Church at (603) 659-3892.
