CARTERVILLE, Ill. (WSIL) -- This time of year, area food pantries are facing challenges in providing nutritious food for children. The Poshard Foundation is stepping in to assist these pantries.
This year, the Foundation is distributing $111,000 to 59 food pantries across the region to ensure children receive fresh, nutritious food.
"In working with vulnerable children for over twenty-five years, we know that good nutrition is part of the healing process," Jo Poshard said. "We ask participating pantries to give us their strategies for getting the food into the hands of children."
Glenn Poshard emphasized the importance of addressing hunger first.
"Very soon we will be distributing our annual grants to social service agencies... but our first step is to help heal the hunger," Glenn Poshard said.
Jo Poshard explained the impact of these grants.
"A two or three thousand dollar grant to a local pantry may not sound like much, but often the pantry can use that money to leverage greater purchasing power with federal food banks and other organizations with whom they work,� Jo Poshard stated.
The Poshard Foundation's efforts aim to support local pantries in their mission to provide for children in need. Below is the area food pantries who are receiving the grant funds from the Poshard Foundation...
- Arrowleaf’s Client Choice Food Pantry, Cairo and Vienna
- Ava-Trico Area Food Pantry
- Benton/West City Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry
- Bethel Temple Evangelistic Ministries, Mounds
- Blessings in a Backpack, Johnson County
- Cambria Food Pantry
- Caring for Kids, Harrisburg
- Centralia Community Benevolent Association
- Cherry Street Food Pantry, Carmi
- Chester Area Christian Food Pantry
- Christian Community Compassion Center, Harrisburg
- Community United Pantry, Carterville
- COPE � Christian Outreach Program Emergency Food Pantry, Metropolis
- Du Quoin Food Pantry
- Emmanuel Temple Ministries, Metropolis
- Faith Liberty Mission Church Food Pantry, Du Quoin
- Friends of Jesus Food Pantry, Eldorado
- Gallatin County Food Pantry, Shawneetown
- God’s Pantry, Olmsted
- Good Samaritan Ministries, Carbondale
- Grace Baptist Fellowship Food Pantry, Benton
- Grand Tower Food Pantry
- Greater Galatia Food Pantry
- Harvest Deliverance Center Pantry, Harrisburg
- Herrin Community Pantry
- Herrin House of Hope
- Hope’s Entourage, Mt. Vernon
- Hurst Community Food Bank
- JC Manna Mission, Johnston City
- Jesus es el Senor UMC � Joe’s Mall Food Pantry, Cobden
- Jesus Helping Hands Mobile Food Market, Tamaroa
- K-Lees Food Pantry NFP, Goreville
- Landmark House of Praise, Carrier Mills
- Least of the Brethren Food Pantry, Pinckneyville
- Loaves and Fishes at Anna United Methodist Church
- Marion Ministerial Alliance
- Murphysboro Food Pantry, Inc.
- Park Avenue Baptist Church Food Pantry, Mt. Vernon
- Purpose House � Love Goes, Colp
- Refuge Temple, Marion
- Roads Food Pantry, Norris City
- St. Kateri Weekend Snackpack Program, Ridgway
- Salem Lutheran Church Food Pantry, Jonesboro
- Sesser Valier Area Lifeline
- 724 Ministries NFP, Murphysboro
- Shawnee Development Council, Inc., Karnak
- Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center Neighborhood Food Pantry, Shawneetown
- Sparta Area Food Pantry
- Table and Grace, Olive Branch
- The Promise Mission, Marion
- Thebes Food Pantry
- Victory Dream Center, Carbondale
- Vienna Food Pantry
- Wabash Area Development, Inc., Fairfield
- Waltonville Free Will Baptist Church
- Weekend Blessings, 1st Methodist Church, Metropolis
- We Love White County, Carmi
- Whiteash Food Bank, Marion
- Williamson Baptist Association, Marion
