Emerson set a goal of reorganizing and revitalizing a pre-existing food pantry at Saint Michael’s Lutheran Church in Virginia Beach with new ideas designed to offer simplicity of access and dignity to guests.
Emerson said, “Food insecurity is a real issue in Virginia Beach and communities everywhere. Especially due to the lasting effects of the pandemic, people are trying to feed a whole family on one income, but still may not qualify for state assistance. We [Saint Michael’s Lutheran Church] had a food pantry before the coronavirus, but it stopped and had not been restarted, yet.”
Throughout the process of reestablishing the food pantry, Emerson worked with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Interfaith Alliance to identify latest industry ‘best practices’ to ensure the food pantry allows guests to receive help in a manner they will find helpful, with dignity, and without unnecessary barriers.
“We wanted to make our food pantry accessible to the community, but manageable by our church. We had a space, but we needed a plan. I worked with our outreach ministry to form and execute a plan for our food pantry. I coordinated with other churches in the area to make sure our hours balanced with what others are doing, so people have options on multiple days of the week.”
Emerson implemented a method for “shoppers” at the church’s food bank that is similar to a typical grocery store experience, more so than guests might usually experience at a food pantry. At Saint Michael’s guests are given a shopping bag and are able to browse the “store” and select items of their choosing, at no cost to them.
“I hope I am helping in a way that makes people feel valued and respected. I cannot solve the issue of food insecurity, but I can help by offering the community a sustainable source of assistance.”
