The Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry is open: Mondays 9:00 am to 7:00 pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; and Fridays 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Food is distributed, and donations are gratefully accepted during business hours. We also have collection boxes in the vestibule at Fareway and at Inspire Continuing Care for donations. The Clothing room is open to all residents of Geneseo and Atkinson on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The Food Pantry will be closed on Monday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day.
Because of the community’s amazing support, the Food Pantry provided food and emergency assistance to 103 households in May. Food distributions in May were equivalent to 1,943 meals. Thank you so much for your continuing amazing support!
May has brought many blessings to the Food Pantry. Thank you to Geneseo Super Wash for donating $1 to the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry for every fully paid car wash in May! Free and Fair International for donated a large amount of food, including fresh, frozen, and packaged food! What a blessing it was for our guests. The Food Pantry was also blessed by First Lutheran Church’s collection of personal care items and cleaning supplies. Thank you to all who contributed.
Sister Michelle Fernandez of Catholic Charities has been providing cleaning and personal care items and visiting with guests once per month. We have recently learned Sister Michelle will be relocating to Miami, Florida to continue her ministry there. She was an absolute ray of sunshine and will be missed. Best wishes to Sister Michelle!
As temperatures start to climb, we would welcome any donations of new or gently used fans. Many of our guests are without air conditioning and would appreciate these donations!
The Food Pantry’s first Unity Point Foot Care Clinic on May 26 was a success! The next Foot Care Clinics will be held July 28. Please call 944-3165 to make an appointment.
On June 21st, OSF King Care-A-Van, a mobile health unit, provided a walk-in clinic with a nurse practitioner offering wellness checks, medical advice, referrals, COVID-19 testing (rapid only), and free screenings for blood pressure. The Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry will continue look for ways to provide services to families and individuals enabling them to be more fully functional, effective, and healthy.
A SNAP outreach coordinator will be at the Food Pantry on Tuesday, July 5, 9:00-11:30 to answer any questions about SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and help guests sign up for SNAP.
The Food Pantry Volunteer of the Month, Lisa Betsworth, has been volunteering at the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry for 7 months. She receives and sorts donations, organizes items in the clothing/houseware room, greets guests and assists them in finding what they need. Lisa has a husband Jim, two adult daughters, five amazing grandchildren and one elderly cat. Lisa’s hobbies are: Attending her grandchildren’s activities and sports, playing pickleball, bike riding, and spending time with extended family. Lisa said the best thing about volunteering at the Food Pantry is knowing that what we do is really helping those in need. Lisa said until she started volunteering, she did not realize how much assistance the Food Pantry provides for people. Seeing the gratitude and knowing how much it helps in these difficult times makes volunteering very special. Thank you, Lisa!
Food needs for June: coffee, salsa, salad dressing, barbecue sauce, and crackers.
Non-food needs: garbage bags, paper plates, conditioner, allergy medicine, new/used fans.