Photo by Michele Newbanks Volunteers Cathy Miller and Anita Cunningham, along with Director Dorothy Dunn, check boxes that were packed and ready to be distributed Friday at the Marietta Church of God.

For close to 25 years, the Marietta Church of God Food Pantry has helped feed Washington County residents.

Although the numbers have dropped some this summer, there are still an average of 30 families a month getting help. Before the slow down from the pandemic, they averaged 40 households a month.

Cathy Miller has volunteered at the pantry for the last five or six years. She said the church has talked about the decrease in households in need.

“People are possibly getting more government benefits like SNAP benefits,” Miller speculated.

Dorothy Dunn became director after assisting the former director for several years, but the person people see when they visit the shelter is Anita Cunningham, the rhurch’s secretary.

“She registers people and gets their information,” Miller said.

“She keeps this on track,” Dunn added.

They follow guidelines set by the Logan Food Bank, but they don’t ask clients to indicate their income level on the registration form. A piece of current mail is used to verify their address, along with a photo ID is needed for the client’s first visit.

For a couple of months this summer, they got pre-packed boxes from the food bank, but they’ve been packing their own boxes since.

“The pantry is pretty well stocked,” Dunn said.

Clients will get non-perishables such as canned vegetables and fruit, bagged beans, rice, pasta sauce and cereal, as well as chips or cookies when they are available.

The meat and bread comes from the Harvest of Hope.

Church Pastor Dan Hess said the volunteers are great Kingdom workers.

“It’s all about the good Lord,” Miller explained. “You definitely see the need.”

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.