Food Pantry

RIB LAKE UMC COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY  

Open every third Wednesday at 9 am and 4 pm                           

  • Dry Cereal
  • Canned Fruit
  • Juice Frozen/Canned
  • Canned Tuna – preferably “in water”
  • Jelly
  • Canned vegetables
  • Spaghetti sauce
  • Hamburger Helper – Tuna Helper
  • Peanut Butter – Creamy/Crunchy
  • Chef Boyardee/Franco Canned Pasta Dinners
  • Canned soups/Cream/Chicken/Tomato
  • Toilet Tissue and Paper Towels

*Please do not donate damaged or spoiled food.

 

The History of the Rib Lake Community Food Pantry

Ever wonder how some of our ministries get started?  How a simple act years ago started a powerful ministry?  This past year with all the ups and downs of the pandemic we have served 74 households during 2021.  We also helped out the Jump River food pantry twice (giving them a truck-load each time) and the Taylor Co. Supportive Services Food Pantry, as well as Indianhead Food Pantry and giving baby food supplies to Abiding Care.

“A generous person will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.”     –Proverbs 22:9

            Over 20 years ago when Pr. Cheri was Rib Lake UMC pastor, we had two services.  The second service organist was a single lady who would come during the week to the church to practice.  While she was there, two young men knocked on the door and asked for help.  She reached into her purse and gave them $20.  Thankfully the Lord took care of her and the young men were grateful and sincere in their need.  But we have all heard horror stories of those who do not know nor respect the Lord.

It made us realize we needed to fill the need while keeping our parishioners and Pr. Cheri safe.  We started keeping a Rubbermaid storage tub filled with food items that would make at least a couple of meals.  It was getting used more and more, until it grew into the Food Pantry that we have today.  Even the freezer that we originally had was donated by a member.

Recently that donated freezer stopped working.  We did lose the food items that were in it but already had the funds needed to replace the freezer and meat and butter from multiple donations.  But we discovered it while we could still get it cleaned out.  Then we were able to replace it before the next walk-in time for the food pantry which was one week away.  The Lord took care of us especially when we were all hearing about the supply chain shortages.

Just before Christmas, we received several large donations.  Some of the donors were Rib Lake Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, Great Northern Cabinetry, Walmart, Weather Shield LITE Foundation, Rib Lake American Legion, Westboro VFW, Westboro Sno-Duster snowmobile club, Food for Parking Fines, as well as several private individual donors.  We even received a box of various types of candies marked as stocking stuffers from one of our individual donors.  Again members of our congregation rose to the challenge spending most of the week prior to Christmas sorting all the bags of goodies donated.  The Rib Lake Congregation always has been and still is amazingly supportive for this ministry.  We especially thank the charge confirmation class for helping with some of the sorting and restocking.

The belief of the Rib Lake United Methodist Church family is that no one should go hungry.  Watch as this ministry may grow again.  The Lord has a plan!

If you know of someone who is having food insecurities, please have them contact Karon @ 715-427-3563 for an appointment.  Our walk-in time is always the third Wednesday of the month from 9 to 11 AM.

Karon Dallmann, March 2022