For Community Brickworks, a Midwest Food Bank Georgia nonprofit partner, providing food is about more than keeping pantry shelves stocked.
It is about neighbors showing up for one another when circumstances make everyday life more difficult.
“While our organization reaches into the community in many different ways, the Pantry remains at the heart of who we are and what we do,” said Lisa Remley, Board Chair of Community Brickworks. “It represents our mission in its simplest and most meaningful form: neighbors helping neighbors.”
That idea has shaped Community Brickworks for more than 20 years.
Food Pantry Director Karin Slaton first became involved after moving to the area. A neighbor invited her to help while she was away on vacation. “Before I had even unpacked my own kitchen, I was filling grocery bags for families at Community Brickworks,” Karin said.
Inside Operations Manager Elaine Bryant was recruited by Community Brickworks founder Judy Henderson. Her first role was helping in what was then a small pantry closet, filling two grocery bags for each client.
“Even then, I could see how much a little assistance could mean to a family or individual facing difficult times,” Elaine said.
Today, the pantry is larger, but the personal approach remains. Clients can choose foods their families will use through curbside pickup, and volunteers get to know many of them by name. Community partners add to that support in different ways, from locally donated eggs and produce to birthday bags and coupons for gallons of milk.
A little breathing room at the right time
One anonymous parent recently shared what that support meant during a difficult period for their family. They came to Community Brickworks looking for help making sure there was enough food and other essentials for their children.
The parent described the assistance as taking away some of the stress of providing for the family. Food helped when it was needed most, while clothing at Christmas and school supplies helped meet other expenses throughout the year.
That support also allowed the parent to focus more attention on family and working toward a more stable future. Asked to describe the experience with Community Brickworks in one phrase, the response was simple: “A blessing when we needed it most.”
Stories like this are why Karin says Wednesdays have become her favorite day of the week.
“We have the most devoted volunteers,” she said. “I see the relief on a client’s face when they know we have packed their trunk with enough food to get their family through the week, and I see the respect, dignity and compassion our volunteers bring to every interaction.”
A partnership that keeps the pantry stocked
Community Brickworks receives nearly 1,500 pounds of food each month from Midwest Food Bank Georgia. The food helps keep pantry shelves stocked and allows Community Brickworks to direct more of its resources toward other assistance, including utilities and housing.
For Karin and Elaine, the partnership is one piece of a much larger community effort.
“People may help in different ways, but they see a need and they find a way to help,” Elaine said.
