HOLT, Fla., Nov. 20, 2021—It’s been quite a week for the Holt Community Food Pantry.
But it’s all good.
Tuesday began with delivery of the rest of the turkeys for the Thanksgiving food bags by the Rotary Club of Crestview and Tiffany Woodham State Farm. These were handed out to pantry customers Wednesday.
Related: “State Farm, Rotary Club help with Thanksgiving dinners again this year“
But shortly after the turkeys been tucked into the freezers, Holt Academy owner, Boe Miller, pulled up to the pantry with a pickup truck bed loaded with donated canned and dry goods, the results of the school’s annual food drive.
“We’ve got 650 items for the pantry,” he said. “And there’s more coming from Holt Academy Baker.” Between the two schools, they raised nearly 1,000 food items for the pantry.
That was just the beginning.
Thursday, Crestview High School’s leadership students handed off a couple of carloads of food they collected during their annual food drive.
“It was two SUVs full—front to back, front seat, floorboard, stacked double…twice,” said pantry director Donna Ash. “It was awesome.”
After unloading her car, Ash received a $300 check donation from Mount Ewell Mason Lodge No. 131 of Baker to go toward holiday meals.
And Friday, the pantry received a donated 6-foot chest freezer.
“It’s been every day—‘Look what we’ve got for you,’” said Ash. “It’s wonderful to have all these shelves full.”
Pantry staff echoed her, saying they wish it could be like this all the time.
Earlier this month, the pantry had to repair one of its commercial freezers, to the tune of $1,186.
Related: “Hospice helps Holt pantry“
A timely $1,000 donation by Emerald Coast Hospice the first week of November arrived the day before the freezer repair.
“The extra money we received this month helped take care of the needed repairs,” said Ash.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the Holt Community Food Pantry can drop off food donations to the First Baptist Church of Holt or the Holt Water Works office.
Monetary donations for the pantry can be mailed to the First Baptist Church of Holt Food Pantry, P. O. Box 38, Holt, FL 32564.
Holt Enterprise News 