Westminster Mission Focus – Food Sustainability Part 5 - Monroe Elementary Food Pantry

by Susan Denton, Director of Connections and Mission

WPC partners with our neighborhood elementary school, Monroe, providing support for their food pantry. A bin is placed inside the Southwest/Office Door where donations can be dropped off. Every other week Jim & Linda Holcomb and Tom & Judy Newell deliver the generous donations of our church members to Monroe.

Monroe Elementary has students from Malaysia, United Republic of Tanzania, Kenya, Thailand, Mexico, Honduras, South Africa, El Salvador, Uganda, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Croatia, Zambia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Ethiopia, :-) and the United States. Students speak 11 other languages including Arabic, Burmese, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese, and more! Thus, they have asked for diverse items for their food pantry.

For example,

• Rice (white, Jasmine, and/or Basmati)

• White corn flour

• Rice noodles

• Spaghetti noodles

• Canned potatoes

• Canned fish

As well as items such as:

• Spaghetti sauce

• Bread

• Pancake mix

• Syrup

• Oatmeal

• Cereal/cereal bars

Approximately 93% of students at Monroe receive free or reduced-price lunch. There is on average 5 – 20 families per week using the food pantry, resulting in anywhere from 30 - 225 people receiving food each month. Thank you for your continued support of Monroe Elementary!