Summer Food Shortage at MUST Pantries

When school ends and families leave for vacations, giving to food pantries decreases, according to Annette Lee, Director of Administrative Services at MUST Ministries. “Plus, school food drives cease and many other churches and organizations who regularly give take a summer break.” 

While it’s a difficult time to collect food, “our neighbors in need don’t take a break from coming to MUST for groceries. In fact, most families need the groceries even more because their children are eating at home instead of at school,” she explained.

Looking over the inventory list is startling. MUST serves 34,000 clients a year, yet many items they need are not in stock. The greatest need is for protein like peanut butter and canned meats: chicken, tuna, ham, sardines, mackerel and dried beef. In addition, the charity needs boxed dinners, powered and canned milk, juice, canned chili, tea, baked beans, spaghetti sauce, dried beans, oil, pancake mix, cereal and jelly.

“We have bread donated, so we’d like to be able to give each family peanut butter and jelly, “Lee said, “but we rarely have enough jelly and are sometimes low on peanut butter. Almost half of our clients are children, so we want to be able to give each family something their children will eat and that will last several meals.”

She said MUST distributes a ton of food each week day in addition to nearly 200,000 sack lunches for Summer Lunch. MUST provides food pantries in Smyrna, Marietta and Canton with a central Donation Center at 1210B Kennestone Circle. The center is open to receive donations Tuesday through Saturday, 9-5.