Resources- The Pastor's Pantry, addressing senior hunger
The United States, especially in localities like Davidson County, historically has always had an issue with widespread poverty among its citizens, particularly senior citizens. Many organizations are in place to help aid senior citizens as they age, one such being the Pastor’s Pantry. As people age, it becomes harder and harder to work in jobs and occupations that were once much easier. As a result, senior citizens' livelihoods are at risk due to a circumstance entirely out of their control and many end up out of jobs. With no income and scant support, countless elders are forced to rely on Social Security checks every month to put food on the table and keep on the lights.
These circumstances are worsened by the ever-rising inflation rates in the US. As such, prices of goods and services are continuing to climb and wages are staying the same and steadily becoming unsustainable. All of this compounds the struggles many seniors face, such as poverty and the decline of physical and mental health. The Pastor’s Pantry, based out of Davidson County, aims to shoulder some of that burden, offering support by way of monthly accessible groceries, all at no cost to recipients.
In the American economy, poverty and inflation are two apprehensive yet inevitable aspects. Poverty is defined as not having a substantial enough income to acquire the necessities required to support a stable household, with the threshold varying from household to household. Inflation is the rise of the pricing of goods, a devastating factor to the livelihood of many people, forcing the cost of necessities such as food and water to become exorbitant. As prices of necessities skyrocket, wages remain stagnant, which causes many people to fall below the poverty line. Although poverty rates have significantly improved throughout the decades succeeding the Great Depression, statistics remain at a high rate of 11.6 percent (2021). In Davidson County, poverty rates are at a staggering 15.5 percent (2020), higher than the national average.
In recent years, the poverty rate of senior citizens (65 years or older) has risen. As a result, the Pastor’s Pantry was established in 2000. Although originally founded in 1974 as a crisis intervention organization, the Pastor’s Pantry was restructured to fit the needs of the people in Davidson County: senior hunger. The pantry is a nonprofit organization that aims to alleviate the financial burdens many senior citizens carry and to serve as an emergency resource to people in need, all free of charge. The name was derived from the organization's first executive director, Dr. Beverly Fullbright, who was an ordained minister. Despite the moniker, food is distributed with only one’s needs in mind, with no religious criteria or affiliation, aiming to reach and support everyone in need in Davidson County, regardless of circumstance, status or demographic. The Pastor’s Pantry distributes roughly 5,000 bags of food monthly, supporting around 700 individuals in 500 senior households throughout Davidson County.
All of this is possible due to the financial and charitable contributions from Pastor’s Pantry’s affiliates. Food provided to the charity comes from a variety of sources: food drives hosted by individuals, churches and organizations, donations from farmers and the Store Rescue Program from Food Lion. Funding is additionally provided by a variety of sources: individuals, grants, churches, groups, United Way.
United Way offers aid to people in need and strives towards community prosperity, offering financial, educational and health-related support. It collaborates with and supports Pastor’s Pantry, helping Davidson County as a whole, working toward its goal of building up equitable and strong communities and helping those in need.
