Prodisee Pantry Inc

Have you ever been hungry?  For the more than 10,850 families served by Prodisee Pantry in 2011, the answer is yes!  Fighting hunger while feeding families’ spirits is what we do on a weekly basis.  Prodisee Pantry is a ministry that provides love, hope and comfort by serving families in crisis through emergency food, regional disaster relief, referrals and partnerships.

The struggling economy is squeezing everyone’s pocketbook.  But for families in crisis it seems like a chokehold.  The cold reality is that twice as many families are facing hunger this year as compared to last year.  “Mary”, a wife and mother of two small children, says that hunger is a daily concern.  Prodisee Pantry’s volunteers have been warm fuzzies in the lives of an average of 900 families each month.  Warm smiles, caring words, prayers and a box of staple groceries are how we do it.

“Mary” is one of those families who always helped others.  Now she is on the receiving end.  Her husband, “John”, was laid-off when the recession forced cutbacks at his job early last year.  Six months later, as a cost-saving measure, Mary’s company went to a shorter work-week.   She scaled back at home, clipping coupons and raising the thermostat.  But they struggled to make the mortgage and pay bills.   John and Mary are now a foreclosure story in a middle-class neighborhood.   In less than six months, they watched their American dream crumble.  Mary says many times she and her husband have skipped meals to make sure the kids got something to eat.  Their new nightmare is that the girls will go to bed hungry.  The Pantry keeps staple groceries, frozen meat and some fresh produce in their pantry plus a few kid friendly snacks.  The couple has been referred for school uniforms, utilities and mortgage assistance and Christian counseling at other organizations that can help.  John says he’s blessed that the pantry is helping them maintain some normalcy for his kids.  Mary says she’s glad they don’t have to go through this alone.

“Jim” is a proud man who raised three girls with his wife of 50+ years.  Today they find themselves taking care of an eight month old and a toddler while on a fixed income.  Why?  Because, his daughter is addicted to drugs and has left the children in his care.  Any money she receives goes to feeding her habit, not her children.  The Pantry provides these babies with diapers, formula and food.  Jim never asks for anything for himself but always says thank you.

Providing food to single moms, unemployed and under-employed households, families in transition, homeless, retirees, and grandparents raising grandchildren is always deemed an emergency.  We offer our services each Tuesday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The Gathering Place in Prodisee Center at the corners of Highways 31 and 98 in Spanish Fort.  We often receive calls for help that cannot be delayed until our regular operating hours, so a volunteer will box and arrange food delivery to help that family having trouble making ends meet.  

We spend an average of $20 per family to provide about $120 in groceries.  During the Holidays we spend on average $50 per family to provide about $175 in groceries a special food.  In November, 1,540 families received eight tons of special holiday foods, five and half tons of turkey in addition to our regular distribution.

Prodisee Pantry is more than just a weekly emergency food program.  We’re committed to disaster relief.  Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina taught the Gulf Coast a valuable lesson about being prepared.  In fact, Prodisee Pantry has 150 emergency food buckets on hand filled with basic food items that can be eaten with little preparation and ready to be delivered immediately following a storm to families devastated by natural disasters.  Pallets of food are held to be given to local shelters across Baldwin County being operated by Churches, The Red Cross and Baldwin County’s Emergency Management Agency, should they be needed.