Through the month of December, Sunshine customers can support the local food pantry.
General manager Todd Shuman noted that this is the first time the store is partnering with The Exchange. All of the other 15 Sunshine stores in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota are partnering with their small town food pantries as well.
Customers can choose a paper bag filled with items to make a breakfast, lunch or dinner item.
“They just pick them up, take them to the checkouts and ring them up. Then we take them to the food pantry for them,” he said.
Gail Strasser, who works with The Exchange, located inside Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, said the idea was Shuman’s. He checked in with her to make sure the items included were appropriate for what they were doing.
All of the items in the bags are shelf-stable items and work into a meal situation.
“I’m grateful that Todd checked with me so he knew what would work good in the bags,” she said.
Their needs at The Exchange vary constantly. Sometimes they might be in need of cereal or sometimes it’s macaroni and cheese.
“It comes and goes in waves so to speak. It’s just what people happen to be giving at the time,” Strasser said.
Recently Girls on the Run collected personal care items and brought them to The Exchange. That was a much needed donation as they were low on those supplies.
Right now, The Exchange needs bathroom tissue and facial tissue. With the cold and flu season starting, those items are needed.
With the holidays, they can also use staples like flour, sugar and oil and cake mixes.
“People want to do Christmas baking. It doesn’t matter what your situation is in life. You want to be able to do things like everybody else does,” Strasser said.
Hours for The Exchange are listed in the church news section of The Lennox Independent. Those hours are generally Mondays 2-3:30 p.m., Wednesdays 3:30-4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9-10 a.m.
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