13 March 2013

More than 900,000 people in the Delaware Valley – from children to employed adults – frequently worry about the source of their next meal, and need the help of food pantries in order to eat. During these times Salvation Army Corps Community Centers across the region help as many individuals as possible, but rely on generous donations to continue meeting people's food security needs.

Specifically, The Salvation Army Norristown Corps Community Center food pantry serves homeless shelter residents and individuals, seniors, and families in need living in Norristown, Willow Grove, Lansdale, Souderton, and other surrounding communities.

The Salvation Army food pantry in Norristown serves 120 households each month. Joyce Goodwin runs the food pantry, and has noticed an increase in need over the years. She serves at least one new household each month, and food assistance is in such high demand that many individuals sign up for one of the 120 spots one month in advance.

The food in the pantry is provided by Philabundance, USDA, Community Action Development Commission, and generous community donations. One specific donation that helps sustain the pantry each year comes from the annual Lt. Patty Simons Law Enforcement Food Drive.

Founded over 17 years ago by Salvation Army Norristown Corps board member Carol Capizzi and police officers Gil Carlson and Patty Simons, the food drive donates approximately 7-10 tons of non-perishable food each December to The Salvation Army food pantry in Norristown.

The food drive started out small consisting of five police departments collecting food during the holiday season, and since then it has grown to include numerous law enforcement offices, schools, churches, and businesses of all sizes, such as Marlene J. Mash, MD and Associates, Penn Liberty Bank, Hatfield Hams, and Brown's Super Stores.

"It's a great blend of organizations working together to serve the community," said Carol Capizzi. "But first and foremost, it's driven by the police officers."

The Greater Norristown Police Athletic League (PAL) coordinates the logistics of the food drive with the help of police officers and community volunteers in November and December each year. Once the food is collected, it is loaded onto a flatbed truck at PAL and is paraded with a line of law enforcement vehicles to The Salvation Army in Norristown. Unloaded at The Salvation Army, the donations nearly fill the entire gym!

"The Lt. Patty Simons Law Enforcement Food Drive is a tremendous help," says Joyce Goodwin. "Without this donation, we'd have to scale down on weekly food given out. The donation helps sustains the pantry until June."