Good Shepherd and St. John Ecumenical Food Pantry is in crisis

Milford — You may be shocked to learn that at least 200 local families are routinely seeking help from The Church of the Good Shepherd and St. John Ecumenical food pantry, which is housed in Milford Borough. On a given Friday night, the line for food often stretches down the pantry’s pathway onto Catherine Street. It is regularly congested with men and women, some with small children, looking for help to stretch their paychecks just a little farther. Many of these families are your neighbors, who have found themselves in dire straights due to a recent layoff or are struggling with the rising prices of housing, gas, electricity and food. For the past 18 years the Ecumenical Food Panty has supplied food each Friday night to those who come for help. Unlike most other food pantries which can only provide food on a monthly basis to comply with government regulations, the Ecumenical Food Panty is able to supply food each week because it is not funded by the state or federal government. Now, the Food Pantry itself is in a crisis. According to Father McGinty, Rector of Good Shepherd and St. John’s Episcopalian Church where the food pantry is located, there is about one week’s worth of food left. The shelves are almost empty. Father McGinty said this stems from an increased demand for food along with the lull in donations that usually begins in the summer months and runs into the early fall. The types of food that they need are staple foods such as pasta, pasta sauce, tuna, cereal, peanut butter, canned foods, soup and instant potatoes. Good Shepherd is an ecumenical food pantry, partnered with four other churches in the Milford and Matamoras area to run the pantry: St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, and Milford Presbyterian Church in Milford, and St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Matamoras. Pike County houses seven food pantries. In addition to the Good Shepherd in Milford, there are the Bushkill Outreach, Holy Trinity, Loaves and Fishes, Blooming Grove, St. Anthony’s, and Good Cheer Food Pantries. Most of the other programs in the county receive state or federal aid. All members of the community are being asked to help collect food for the needy. If you would like to make a food contribution or monetary donation, please drop them off at the Pike County Chamber of Commerce office on Harford St. in Milford. Wayne Bank has also offered to accept food donations at their Shohola, Milford and Lords Valley locations. Milford Performing Arts Center has offered to collect food by partnering with Bodies In Balance in Milford as a drop off point. The Port Jervis Rotary Club has donated $100.00 to the Pantry and will be holding a member food drive on Wednesday, Nov. 7. People can always make donations directly to one of the five churches that make up the Good Shepherd Food Pantry. The Chamber will continue to collect and deliver food through the month of November. To learn more about how you can help our local food pantries, call the Good Shepherd Food Pantry in Milford at 570-296-8316, or call the Good Cheer Food Pantry in Greeley at 570-226-3966. For more information about the emergency food drive or Pike County Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.pikechamber.com or call 570-296-8700 or call Niki Jones Agency at 845-856-1266.