Storehouse Community Food Pantry to reopen Monday

Published 5:29 pm Friday, May 1, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Storehouse Community Food Pantry closed its doors on April 8.

The decision was not made lightly, Storehouse Community Food Pantry President Bill Mounger said, but because of the concern for possible infection to volunteers and clients, the food pantry board made the decision to discontinue services until it was safe to reopen.

Even as numbers of the virus continue to increase in Warren County, Mounger said there continues to be a need for services provided by the food pantry. That immediate need is why organizers have decided to reopen the food pantry beginning Monday.

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“We will continue serving our clients by drive-thru in their cars and no one will be allowed inside other than our volunteers,” Mounger said.

With the reopening, Mounger said they will also be taking additional safeguards by reducing the number of volunteers in the food pantry at any one time.

In April, the Storehouse Community Food Pantry received word that it was among 11 other non-profit organizations that would split $26,000 that was donated by Molina Healthcare of Mississippi.

“We feel very fortunate that they reached out to us and $2,000 will help us out a whole lot,” Mounger said at the time in an interview with The Post. “We were very glad to get that. We have had some tough times and this will be a great help for us going forward.”

In March the food pantry was robbed and all the hot dogs, tuna fish and meat Kroger had donated were stolen. With the funds donated by Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, Mounger said the pantry’s shelves would be restocked.

Food pantry operating hours are Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon and Wednesday’s from 5 to 6 p.m.

“We will continue to serve the community as long as we have the number of volunteers necessary to operate and as long as we feel we can keep everyone safe,” Mounger said.

The food pantry is located at 629 Cherry St.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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