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Community pantry box fights hunger | On the Bright Side

While driving along the Susquehanna Trail in Glen Rock, you'll see a large box stocked to the brim with non-perishables sitting outside of St. Paul Lutheran Church.

GLEN ROCK, Pa. — In 2016, volunteers at St. Paul Lutheran Church - Hametown created a "little pantry box" to give back to their neighbors in need.

"It was pretty small, so we could really only put canned goods or a little Poptart box.. and then it became apparent pretty quick that the need was pretty big, and we were going to need a bigger box," volunteer Donna Rosenberger said.

While driving along the Susquehanna Trail in Glen Rock, you'll see the large box sitting outside of the church—stocked to the brim with non-perishables.

"The box isn't locked, so it's always accessible for people to get food or to put things in," Rosenberger said.

No need to register... no questions asked. Church members say if you're in need, just take from the outdoor community pantry.

Since the pantry's inception, volunteers quickly realized the need is year-round.

"There's always a need," Rosenberger said. "Summer, we get hit pretty hard too with kids out of school. It's sad to say, but the box really needs to be filled all the time. Usually within an hour people have come and taken things out of it."

The church converted an old classroom into storage for the community pantry. Volunteers take donations one step further, making sure people have everything they need for a nutritious meal.

"We package things that way it's already together.. like we put pasta and sauce together," Rosenberger said. "Package things they can come and grab and they have a meal."

While volunteers let the process remain anonymous, they can feel the appreciation.

"They're very thankful that we do it, and Pastor Katie just told us recently someone put a thank you note in there," Rosenberger said.

And the pantry itself closely aligns with the church's mission.

"It's a really good reminder to love your neighbor," Rosenberger said. "We don't know the people getting food out of the box.. we don't always see them. But they're still our neighbor."

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