August is the busiest month for food pantries in local communities as back-to-school costs make grocery shopping more difficult for parents and guardians. Added pressure has been applied to local food pantries, like the Taylorville Food Pantry, as numbers have risen to record heights in the past months. Now, serving over 500 families during the month of June, July numbers are expected to be even greater.

Luckily struggling community members can be partially at ease with the tireless effort of the volunteers at the Taylorville Food Bank, ensuring these families walk away with the proper items and even locally grown vegetables. Pam Moses is a Co-coordinator with the Taylorville Food Bank and is grateful for the Taylorville Community Garden, TMH Garden, and the many volunteers who work daily.

Taylorville Food Pantry is an affiliate of the Central Illinois Food Bank. Fresh produce is being donated to the food bank as well through local growers and even grocery stores. Brooke Dunn works in public relations for the Central Illinois Food Bank and is pleased with the donations of fresh vegetables.

With fresh produce means more things to sort through for the volunteers. The produce is still good for the families utilizing the food bank, but stores unload what they would throw away with the food pantry, now volunteers are looked to for the rest of the job. Checking each vegetable for quality then packaging it for a family in need.

The Taylorville Food Pantry holds different hours than normal operating businesses. Distribution to families will be held: Tuesday, from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM, Thursday, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturday, from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM. Moses says that the unorthodox times work well with the community. Volunteers are asked to show up 30 minutes prior.

Brooke Dunn shared the new Nutrition Policy that works well with the fresh produce being accepted. Three categories can tell you if the food you are about to eat is, green, yellow, or red. This signifies foods that are great for you, foods that need to be eaten in moderation, and foods to stay away from.

The Taylorville Food Pantry is always looking for donations and help with volunteering. Help is never turned away so if you would like to support the local food pantry just walk in the doors. The Taylorville Food Pantry is located at 1429 East Main Cross Street in Taylorville.

You can find more information about the Taylorville Food Pantry and the Central Illinois Food Bank on their Facebook pages. Or visit, https://www.centralilfoodbank.org/.

Pam Moses and Brooke Dunn appeared on the WTIM Morning Show as guests.