Pantry wants to promote health, not just eliminate hunger

With grant support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Goodman Community Center is taking steps to fortify its food pantry's role as a supplier and supporter of a healthy, sustainable food culture.

At the end of 2011, the Goodman Community Center initiated the Canning and Freezing project [1], also referred to as the Seed to Table Program.

“We wanted food pantries to have the image of a place where a person could get healthy and reliable food produce, not a place that gives off left-over foods,” said Kathy Utley, Food Resources Manager at the Goodman Community Center.

Utley said the pantry cans and preserves the excess vegetables and fruits from local farmers. Processing the produce helps Goodman Commuity Center build close relationships with the farmers and line thier shelves with healthy foods.

“We develop our own products like tomato sauce and pickled beets that contain less sodium and sugar than those sold commercially. This is to help people in need make healthier and more nutritional choices,” said Utley.

So far, the Goodman Center received positive feedback about the Canning and Freezing project. Utley mentioned that she was amazed to see how much people were enjoying the products, expressing thankfulness to the Center.

The Goodman Center’s collaboration with the TEENworks program has also been bringing fruitful outcomes. The TEENworks program has been engaging in the Canning and Freezing project primarily through educating high school students how to preserve fresh food products.

Keith Pollock, TEENworks Manager, pointed out that the preservation classes have been growing slowly but gradually.

“Recently our biggest event was students picking a van load of collards and kale remaining for Vermont Valley CSA and bring it back to Goodman for the students to blanch and freeze for distribution and later use,” said Pollock.

Pollock said the community receiving the preserved goods was very pleased and that the students themselves were enjoying the time in the kitchen, learning new skills.

Utley believes the Canning and Freezing project can be seen as an effort to tackle the ever expanding food shortages worldwide as well as health issues such as child obesity.

“I think we have an obligation to solve poverty-driven issues. I hope that, in the next five years, food pantries would gain the reputation of health centers,” said Utley.