Local food pantries in desperate need of donations

VICKSBURG, MS. – Triumph Church and other local food pantries provide food and necessities for families in our Vicksburg community, which many count on to make it from month to month. In the last couple of months, these charities, which rely heavily on donations, have found themselves struggling to meet the needs of the people and are seeing a massive decrease in what they’re able to provide.

For instance, in the last week, only two canned goods have been sitting on the shelf at the Salvation Army: a can of creamed corn and a can of pinto beans. Normally, their shelves would be fully stocked with available non perishables. The generous women who work there reported that supplies “have been very dry lately” and they are generally out of food.

A drought that hasn’t been seen since Covid

Triumph Church began operating a food pantry back in the mid 90s. They regularly offer abundant food supplements to locals in need on the first Wednesday of each month and during some Saturdays, doing their best to nourish people with access to a balanced variety of options. Bags of potatoes, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and shelf stable items typically make up the assortment of what they are able to provide. According to Triumph Church’s Pastor, Mike Fields, the group is currently experiencing a drought in supplies that hasn’t been seen since COVID.

“During COVID we experienced extreme food shortage,” said Pastor Fields, “Once again we are experiencing food at half of what we normally get. Our hope is that that will go up.” He acknowledges that part of the issue can be attributed to the current economy, but another part of it, he believes, has to do with a lack of community support.

There haven’t been many donations from the community. Perhaps part of that could be due to the fact that the local food pantries haven’t been reaching out about their needs for support.

“When our supplies are good from the Network, we aren’t as outspoken about [a need for] donations. But when things start drying up we’re concerned and there’s such a need from the community,” Fields continued. “It’s just been the last few months that we’ve seen a downward trend in our supply.”

For Vicksburg citizens facing food insecurities, this situation is dire.

“We used to get a lot of FDA distribution,” said Pastor Fields, “We get most of our food from the Mississippi Food Network and Jackson. They distribute to food pantries and non profits. For the last several years we’ve gotten our food from the MS Food Network. Once or twice a month we pick it up and shelve it.”

Triumph expanded their storage space by more than double the size last year in order to make room for more fresh produce. Initially, this was very helpful. However, there has been a serious decline in donations from the Food Network which has left all of that extra space barren.

Hundreds of families rely on food from Triumph Church each month

It’s no secret that inflation has left many families unable to provide as they normally would be able to. Now more than ever, people are relying on these organizations to live.

“All of us, even those of us that are full time, we go to the grocery store and panic. You wouldn’t believe how high things are until you see it,” said Pastor Fields, “Immediately my mind went to the people in the community. There’s no time like now to remind the public how important it is what we’re doing. Literally hundreds of families depend on us a month.”

What Triumph lacks in donations are often made up for out of the Pastor’s own pocket. Unfortunately, he alone can not provide for a community who needs these services without help.

If one is wondering what to donate, here are some ideas:

• Boxed/Shelf Stable Milk
• Boxed Non-Dairy Milks such as Soy, Oat or Almond
• Cereals
• Instant Oatmeal
• Vegetable, Beef, or Chicken Broth
• Rice a Roni, Macaroni and Cheese or Other Microwaveable Instant Cups/Meals
• Cooking Oil
• Butter
• Peanut Butter
• Sunflower Butter (for those with nut allergies)
• Jelly
• Cheese (including parmesan)
• Meats
• Flour
• Pancake, Cake, Cornbread or Biscuit Mixes
• Canned goods such as Veggies, Soups, Sauces
• Shelf Stable Items
• Nuts
• Seasonings and Ingredients Needed for Baking
• Fruits and Veggies that hold such as Apples, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, etc

Most families in need have children

Another thing to donate that often goes overlooked and is provided out of pocket by people like Pastor Fields include snacks for kids.

“Most of our families in need have children,” said Fields.

Some ideas of what snacks to donate:

• Applesauce
• Granola bars
• Chips (salsa if with Tortilla chips)
• Crackers
• Fruit Gummies
• Goldfish
• Juices

The local food pantries report an abundance of bread, though donations of baked goods are always welcome.

When to Donate:

The best time to donate to Triumph Church is between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. To donate to The Salvation Army, bring items to the Mission 66 location before 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For the We Care Community Services call (601) 638-6327. Other organizations in need of donations include the Center for Pregnancy Choices and the Vicksburg Family Development Center. They accept donations of diapers, wipes and children’s clothes. Food items can also be donated to the Vicksburg Family Development Center, as well the Storehouse Community Food Pantry.

Editor’s Note: The article has been edited to clarify that these organizations are food pantries and not food banks, Storehouse Community Food Pantry, who has been serving the community for over 20 years, was also not included in the original publishing.