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Heritage Spotlight: Food Pantry |
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Tuesday, 31 May 2005 19:00 |
 There’s a brown grocery bag on the sidewalk outside Heritage Baptist Church. It’s heavy, packed solid with rice, canned meats and vegetables, coffee, juice and pudding…enough food to last several days. This bag belongs to James (name changed to protect privacy.) He walks with the aid of crutches. “My legs don’t work,” he says, “I was born that way.” James represents one of up to 40 Annapolis households who receive aid from HBC’s food pantry every month.
 Clair Morehead, Facilities Manager at Heritage, is happy to give a tour. HBC’s food pantry is housed in the church electrical room, and is filled floor to ceiling with shelving units stocked with canned goods and non-perishables. Peanut butter and jelly are stacked high. The shelves hold soups, yams, beans, sugar, flour, cereals, canned meats, pasta and sauce. Everything is well organized and stacked neatly. A table pushed against the wall holds the large brown bags waiting to be filled- a task Mr. Morehead keeps up with.
“This is something I can do because I’m here early in the morning. Once you get into a routine it doesn’t take up too much time. I have a system and try to keep it organized,” Mr. Morehead said. “We’ve had a food pantry here for at least 15 years. Jewell and Buddy Carl (church members) ran it for years before they passed on. They really got it started.”
In the years since the Carls worked the pantry, Mr. Morehead and his wife, church secretary Sally Morehead, have taken over much of the responsibility along with a corps of volunteers who register clients and hand out food bags twice a week.
 Food pantry items come from several sources. HBC is one of the Anne Arundel County Food Bank’s distribution partners. Once a month, Mr. Morehead drives his truck to Crownsville to the group’s headquarters to collect food to hand out through HBC’s pantry. Food drives through the church and Heritage Learning Center also help keep the pantry stocked. In addition, the church allots a $500 budget each year to the food pantry.
Heritage opens the food pantry for general distribution on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9-11 AM in the church lounge. Church member Jack Sturgis coordinates the volunteers who hand out the bags.
“We have about 13 volunteers on rotation,” said Mr. Sturgis. “Most of them work one day a month. I train them on an individual basis, but it’s a pretty simple job.”
 Volunteers ask those requesting food to sign in and show identification. Clients are allowed one bag of food per month. The Anne Arundel County Food Bank has a question check list to help track need. Questions require yes/no answers on subjects ranging from whether the recipient is on medical assistance to whether they are recently unemployed. Regardless of the answers to these questions, no one ever goes away empty handed.
On this particular morning, church member Laura Barnes is manning the volunteer desk in the church lounge. A clipboard with the registration sheet is near the door. Nearby is a cart filled with heavily laden brown bags.
“So many of the people you see come in here are so disadvantaged,” Mrs. Barnes says. “It makes me appreciate all the blessings I have.”
In addition to food for the physical body, food pantry clients are offered food for the soul.
“Sometimes we hand out tracts or New Testaments,” according to Sally Morehead. “Someone once asked if we had a Bible they could have, so I gave them one.”
It’s that kind of spiritual need that many of the food pantry volunteers are eager to answer.
“This is one of my personal ministries,” said Jack Sturgis.
 While there are no statistics on needs of the soul, there is stark evidence of hunger in Maryland. According to the Maryland Food Bank, over 45,000 state residents rely on emergency food programs, such as HBC’s food pantry. Half of those served statewide are under 18 or over 65 years of age.
“Our food pantry is one way we have to make a positive difference in the community,” said HBC Pastor Henry Green. “You’ve heard the expression ‘think globally and act locally’—well this is how Heritage Baptist is doing just that.”
Reaching out to help the community is the goal of HBC’s food pantry. Does it make a difference? “Oh, yeah…sure does,” offers James, the HBC food pantry client. After getting a ride home and help carrying the heavy brown bag to his door, he smiles as he manuvers his crutches up the sidewalk steps. “Thank you very much.”
Heritage Baptist Food Pantry
Heritage Baptist Church
1740 Forest Drive
Annapolis, MD 21403
 How can you help?
Donate non-perishable food items at the church office, or put them in the green bucket labeled “Food for the Needy” in the church hallway near the nursery. Remember: Do not bring outdated food. Check the expiration dates. Also needed: brown paper grocery bags.
Volunteer to work on the distribution days- Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-11 AM. Church member Jack Sturgis coordinates volunteers and would be happy to work with you. You can leave a message for him through the church office at 410-263-6680
Need Food Assistance?
Heritage Baptist Food Pantry is open every Tuesday and Thursday (except holidays) from 9-11 AM. For more information, contact the church office at 410-263-6680.
Heritage Spotlight is written by Lea Hurt for publication on the web site of Heritage Baptist Church. For reproduction or usage of this article or any accompanying photos, please contact Lea at
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