Carma Mohler Grant Spotlight: Fredericksburg Food Pantry | Iowa United Methodist Foundation

July 19, 2021

Guided by the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church and Fredericksburg Ministerium, the Fredericksburg Food Pantry has been serving the Fredericksburg community as well as surrounding towns in Chickasaw County for over 20 years. The Foundation was moved to award this organization with a Carma Mohler grant due to the growing number of families being helped as well as the need for increased shelving to hold and display food. When the Foundation visited in June 2021, program coordinator Donna Schildroth told us there are 12-13 families each month that stop by during open hours to pick up food, and that the total number of families participating more than doubled from 2019 to 2020.

Foundation staff members Sarah Adams, Cassie Parks and Alyssa Mills with Fredericksburg Food Pantry program coordinator Donna Schildroth and volunteer Rose Nordaas standing in front of new shelving purchased with funds from a Carma Mohler hunger grant.

The food pantry provides a variety of both perishable and non-perishable food items (Schildroth said pasta is always a favorite), paper products such as paper towels and napkins, cleaning supplies and hygiene products like toothbrushes and shampoo. The community has rallied around the food pantry and helps in any way possible. For instance, one woman donates farm fresh eggs from her chickens, city hall employees are always willing to accept donations on behalf of the pantry and many community members participate in a reverse advent calendar during the month of December (they add one item to a box each day until Christmas Eve when the boxes are donated). In return, the food pantry supports local businesses whenever possible by buying their groceries from the local grocer and all other products from the local hardware store. Another unique aspect of this food pantry is the focus on healthy meals, including a monthly recipe that participants can pick up and make from items they get at the pantry.

The Foundation is proud to support organizations like the Fredericksburg Food Pantry, especially since they are in a rural community in which residents may struggle to leave town or afford to purchase food locally. We encourage you to donate to this food pantry or your local food bank, and if you are part of this type of organization, please apply for a Carma Mohler hunger grant. Grant applications are accepted from July 1 – October 1 annually and are available on our website: https://iumf.org/carma-mohler-grant/.