Around 4,000 Wasatch County residents lack reliable access to safe, nutritious food.
Jessica Bryant, the Christian Center of Park City deputy director of grants and marketing, said the nonprofit’s Heber Valley Food Pantry sees up to 2,400 visits per month. Now, she said those could increase by 700 or more monthly visits.
The jump follows Provo-based Community Action Services and Food Bank shuttering its Heber City food pantry doors in October due to a lack of funding.
Bryant said the first step to filling the gap is responding to the community.
“Do we need to start doing deliveries of groceries? If people are not able to get to our food pantry, but maybe they used to visit the Community Action food pantry?” Bryant said. “So we're still exploring some of those, you know, more creative kind of outside of the box ways of serving people.”
As of Nov. 2 clients can visit the Heber Valley Food Pantry three times per month instead of twice.
Christian Center of Park City Executive Director Steve Richardson said that’s to ensure clientele who previously visited both pantries have enough food.
Richardson said hunger can be hard to spot.
“It looks like your neighbor and your friend that looks exactly like you, but goes to bed wondering where their next meal is going to be,” Richardson said.
But he said helping out can start from the bottom up.
“More than just financial or volunteering, just teaching your kids to shop for somebody else as well when you're out shopping, and then bring that to the food pantry.” Richardson said.
The Heber Valley Food Pantry is located at 55 East Center Street and open from 11a.m. to 4p.m. Monday through Friday.
To donate or get involved, visit ccofpc.org.
