A campaign at Patchington’s, a women’s clothing business in Spanish Springs, resulted in a larger-than-expected influx of donations for the Wildwood Food Pantry. Patchington’s recently held a food drive to aid the Wildwood Food Pantry. Customers and any other area neighbors who were interested were requested to provide non-perishable goods.
Patchington’s manager, Candie Patterson, stated the event went well. About 30-40 bags of nonperishable foods were provided, including chips, pasta and canned goods, as well as a huge contribution of paper goods.
“I was shocked but not surprised because our community is amazing with stuff like this,” Patterson said.
Patterson was inspired to organize the food drive for the Wildwood Food Pantry after learning that the organization faces challenges during the summer months and receives fewer donations.
The purpose of the Wildwood Food Pantry, located at 300 Mason St., is to collect food for those in need. The pantry, which is a joint ministry of several religious entities, is open for donations from 8:30 a.m. to noon on weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays.
Seeds of Hope, which sponsors the Wildwood Food Pantry and the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, was pleased to have Patchington employees organize a food drive to help the Wildwood Food Pantry.
“They are absolutely wonderful,” Kay Vierk, c-coordinator for Seeds of Hope, said. “They have been so good.”
Vierk went to the supermarket to get the donations for the pantry.
“I got an amazing amount of food this time,” she said. “My car is packed. There’s barely room for me.”
Because of the low quantity of contributions during the summer, the pantry has been underperforming. The summer months are often slower, but Vierk believes this year is even worse.
Patterson expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to assist the pantry. Over the years, she has organized numerous charity events through the store to help local groups, and she has several more scheduled in the near future. As a thank you, those who donated things for this campaign received a 25% discount on their purchases.
“I absolutely love helping our community,” Patterson said.