REPORT AND SHORTAGES AS OF OCTOBER 31

Shortages for the 7 November distribution: (1) “meals in a can” (stew, canned pasta, chili, etc.), and (2) canned soup. Further shortages for 14 November: (3) pasta sauce, (4) dry, unsweetened cereal, (5) pasta, and (6) canned beans (black/ kidney/red/etc.).

In addition, we need: Similac Blue and Similac Orange baby formula, and/or domestic or foreign equivalents/substitutes. We also need: diapers sizes 3, 4, 5 and 6, and Pediasure, as well as Ensure.

Paper grocery bags (Trader Joe or Wegmans size or similar) are continually in short supply. Can you help? Plastic newspaper bags and plastic grocery bags are always needed. Plastic 12-egg cartons are very much needed. Other 12 or 6 unit containers are useful as back-ups. (18 and 24-egg containers are too large for our distribution).

Over the week ending at close of business 31 October, we received approximately 2.17 tons of non-perishable food. Thank you! Food shortages noted above are for the next two weeks, except other items mentioned afterwards which are short now.

Thanks to our donors, at current projected client totals, we now have enough canned meat/fish, canned vegetables, mac & cheese, and canned fruit for over three weeks. For the 21 November distribution (usually our largest of the year) everything else is short!

In the week ending 31 October, we gave out some 2.26 tons of non-perishable food and rather less perishable food to 232 families. As always, special thanks go to all those helping us to keep St. Martin’s Pantry in operation!