New food bank in Apollo overwhelmed with high turnout

Feb. 6—A library is offering more than just books in Apollo.

The Apollo Memorial Library opened the Fresh and Free Community Pantry last week, offering perishable foods such as eggs, vegetables and fruit to the public.

In its first three days of operation, more than 260 people visited the library seeking food.

The library pantry is the first of its kind in Armstrong County.

"The amount of people coming through our doors (last) week has more than tripled from any previous amounts since I started here," said Jennifer Ramsey, the new library director. She said one patron cried when she received her food items.

Patrons do not need to be residents of Apollo.

Library officials request individuals not call the library to inquire about specific food items because they're short staffed.

The pantry remains open, but organizers said it's quite depleted and the surge in demand for free food has resulted in a reassessment of pantry operations while volunteers regroup, reorganize and seek alternative food sources.

"It's so much of a success, the need in our community is so much greater than we had realized — we're having to pull back and reevaluate how we had set it up to make sure that we can continue matching the volume of the need in our community," library officials posted Thursday on their Facebook page. "Also, because it is successful, other county organizations want to emulate what we started here, so our primary food source is now reduced.

"We're nearly entirely out of food."

Ramsey said she has experienced food insecurity herself and aims to revitalize and restructure the library for a sustainable future while breaking down as many access barriers as she can.

"Right now, that's taking the form of our community pantry to combat community hunger — a need many patrons expressed to me over the last two months — with food stamp allotments reducing while grocery costs are soaring," Ramsey said.

She stressed the free food pantry is not charity.

"I consider it mutual aid," she said. "It's shame-free and open-to-all."

All food items are provided by the Armstrong County Community Action Food Bank in Kittanning, in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.

"We're working out the kinks after seeing the overwhelming need for food," Ramsey said. "We are seeking other sources for foods and are accepting donations and trying to find additional sources for donated food."

Food items vary and are based on donation availability but usually include bread, produce, eggs, fruits, vegetables, cheese and butter.

Because the pantry operates without grant money, the library can operate the pantry without income limits and paperwork.

"We will do our best to keep it radically open this way so that no one in our community needs to go hungry," Ramsey said.

The library pantry is unique because it doesn't stock canned goods, only fresh food items.

"We are focusing on fresh produce and fresh foods to meet an expressed community need for these items," she said.

At this time, meat is not offered because it is harder to source, library officials said.

"Patrons have been very thankful for this new service aspect of the library, with one woman telling me that her Social Security benefits only go so far toward paying her living expenses and little is left for food," Ramsey said.

Vandergrift resident and business owner Shannon Gourley read about the new pantry on social media and decided to volunteer.

"I thinks it's amazing to have somewhere local people can walk in and not only get food, if needed, but fresh foods like butter, eggs and produce," Gourley said.

In demand items are eggs and butter because of current high costs.

Plans include adding a glass-front cooler and a dedicated pantry off the main library floor.

For now, patrons are asked to inquire with a librarian to access the freezer and refrigerator.

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joyce by email at jhanz@triblive.com or via Twitter .