New food pantry providing assistance in Ripley community

With the goal of providing assistance to local families and struggling individuals, Ripley churches have teamed up to start a new food pantry. The new Ripley Community Food Pantry is open every Wednesday, except the third Wednesday of the month, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and is located at the historic Ripley Memorial Masonic Temple located at 211 North Second Street in downtown Ripley.

Those volunteering at the new Ripley Community Food Pantry chose not to open on the third Wednesday of the month due to the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry that visits the Ripley-Union-Lewis-High School at that time.

“Most of the churches have come together in an effort to provide the Ripley Community Food Bank,” said the food bank’s director and Centenary Methodist Church Pastor Chuck Reeves. “In this effort, we’ve partnered with the Free Store Food Bank.”

The Free Store Food Bank of Cincinnati has provided the Ripley Community Food Bank with many items for Wednesday handouts, and the food bank is expecting to soon be assisting over 100 nearly every week at the Ripley Masonic Temple.

“I had someone tell me that their grocery used to be $600, and that their 16-year-old daughter came to them and said, ‘Dad, how come we ain’t got no money anymore?’ And he said, ‘Well, our grocery bill is now over $1,600.’ So, my concept of the food pantry is that we’re not here to serve just the poor. We’re here to take the burden off the families so that the family can raise a family. If we can let them pay their electric bill or car payment, or whatever is necessary so they don’t get behind in life, that’s what this is here for,” Reeves explained.

The Ripley Masonic Lodge has been closed, so those in charge of the lodge offered the building as a food pantry.

“This building was donated to us by the trustees over the building,” said Reeves. “The trustees of the building when the Masonic Lodge closed offered this to us as a food pantry.”

Serving as assistant director of the Ripley Community Food Pantry is Ripley First Presbyterian Church Pastor Kurt Hopper, and manager of the food pantry is Ripley resident Steve McQuitty.

Canvas Works of Ripley donated the sign for the Ripley Community Food Pantry.

Hundreds of boxes for food handouts were donated by a nearby paper company of Kentucky.

Many have chipped in to get the new food pantry up and running.

“Our goal is to give families enough groceries to get them through the week,” said Reeves.

Volunteers of the food pantry look to serve anyone who shows up in need of food, no matter their income.

The Ripley Community Food Pantry will ask for identification to receive food, but that’s all, according to Reeves.

The original goal was to serve the Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington School District, but the Ripley Community Food Pantry is also open to those outside of the Ripley area in need of food.

“The Bible says to feed the hungry,” said Reeves. “So, this is a start.”

The Ripley Community Food Pantry has served between 20-40 families on average during Wednesday handouts since its recent opening, but they are expecting much larger crowds on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon once word spreads that they its now open and ready to serve. So, to keep up with expected larger turnouts the food pantry is in need of donations.

Donate to the Ripley Community Food Pantry by mailing donations to Ripley Community Food Pantry, P.O. Box 323, Ripley, OH 45167.

For those arriving on Wednesdays for food handouts, signs will direct them as to where to go to get registered and receive their food. Entry will start at the Ripley Church of the Nazarene parking lot on North Second Street, where an “enter” sign can be seen during handout hours. Volunteers will then load food in the trunk of your car and then direct you to the exit.

All Ripley churches are involved in the food pantry in some way, according to Reeves, ready to help provide assistance to local families in need of food.

“No one will be turned away,” said Reeves.