The “Falconland Market” — named for the districts mascot — at Graham Elementary, 9464 E. state Route 36 in St. Paris, will include options such as fruits, cheese, butter, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, eggs, chicken fajita meat, canned beef, pork and chicken, a variety of noodles, cereals and condiments, according to a press release.
Community members who attend the soft opening should park in the lot to the west (left) of the building toward the most rear entrance on the side (second grade pod entrance).
The market will be opened to the public twice a month on Sunday afternoons on: Jan. 9 and 23, Feb. 6 and 20, March 6 and 20, April 3 and 17, May 1, 15 and 29, June 19, July 10 and 24, and Aug. 7 and 21.
Updates to those dates will be posted on the district’s website, social media accounts and newsletters. For more information or if you’d like to volunteer, contact Stacey Logwood, OCPS, Students, Family, Community Support Coordinator at 937-663-4127 or logwoods@grahamlocalschools.org.
While some food pantries may be challenged with donations and volunteers, a few local ones seem to be doing fine and continue to help those in need.
The drive-thru food pantry at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 712 N. Fountain Ave. in Springfield, distributes food from 5:30 to 7 p.m. every third Thursday of the month.
Director Denise Roberts said they have about 28 active volunteers who serve the community with COVID-19 protocols in place.
The pantry operates with the help of donations and are a part of the Second Harvest network where they order most of their food.
“We need the ‘mothership’ to be healthy, and I would highly recommend people donating to it,” she said. “Monetary donations help because we are able to buy food that we can’t find on the Second Harvest website.”
The pantry, which has been operating out of the church for six years, was a “come and sit down pantry” in the basement of the church, until COVID forced them to change their plans. They were closed for two months and redesigned it as a drive-thru pantry starting in the alley next to the church.
The Springfield Soup Kitchen serves the community from 5 to 6 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday at 830 W. Main St. in Springfield.
“In all of our 13 years, we have never had a problem getting volunteers. We had as few as 12 per meal and as many as 70 or more,” said President Fred Stegner.
Stegner said donations are always welcome, especially monetary ones to meet the unexcepted. To volunteer, call 937-925-2900. To donate, visit the Springfield Soup Kitchen’s website or mail monetary donations to their address.
As a way to help combat hunger in our community each year, the Springfield News-Sun also runs our annual Community Food Relief campaign to raise money that goes directly to the Second Harvest Food Bank. This year, Community Food Relief has set a goal to raise $20,000 by Jan. 9. The fund drive kicked off in late November, and so far, News-Sun readers have donated more than $11,000.
Local food pantries that are also open through the year are:
- St. John’s Lutheran Church, 27 N. Wittenberg Ave. in Springfield, has a food pantry open from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. every second, third and fourth Wednesday of the month
- The Open hands Food Pantry distributes food boxes from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays at Covenant United Methodist Church, 529 W. Johnny Lytle Ave. in Springfield. They will be closed from Dec. 23 through Jan. 4.
- New Beginnings UMC Village Pantry, 5065 Old Mechanicsburg Road in Springfield, is open from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every fourth Monday of the month.
HOW TO HELP
You can donate to Community Food Relief:
Online at https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/foodrelief/.
By mail for checks to be made payable to Second Harvest Food Bank, 20 N. Murray St., Springfield, OH 45503.
A donation envelope was inserted in the News-Sun on Sunday, Dec. 19.
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