Mt. Hermon UMC created thriving free food pantry box in Basye

BASYE, Va. (WHSV) - Sitting in the Freed’s Biscuits parking lot, next to Jamie Kuntz vegetable stand, the Basye free food pantry has been available to the community since Jan.

“We don’t have a way to reach out to families in need easily here in Basye, there’s a food pantry in Mount Jackson and parts beyond but it was an unrequited need right here in our local community,” Bill Braddy, administrative board chair for Mt. Hermon United Methodist Church said.

Braddy said the pantry holds dry goods, limited canned goods, packaged consumables, cleaning supplies and much more to meet the needs the church is seeing in the community.

“We’d estimate somewhere between $1500 and $2000 worth of food and supplies have gone through the pantry since January,” Braddy said.

The pantry is maintained by a group of women from Mt. Hermon UMC, Braddy said they check it daily and sort through donations to keep the pantry stocked.

”Take what you need, leave what you can, a little is much in the master’s hand. I’m not sure who that should be attributed too but thematically that fit what’s behind this food pantry perfectly,” Braddy said.

The box was made by a local artisan, Thomas Fugate, made the pantry box so it is weatherproof.

“The food pantry is part of our pastors outreach program, we’re blessed with a young pastor, Joshua Orndorff, and he’s got several good ideas for reaching out to the local community and I think that stimulus is what led Brenda and others to think of this great idea,” Braddy said. “It’s a little church with a big heart.”

A Venmo QR code will be placed on the box for donations it can also be found on the pantry’s Facebook page.

You can also make a check out to Mt. Hermon UMC, Braddy said to mark on the check the money is for the food pantry.

There is also a donations basket at the food pantry box.

“We’re just very pleased that its being utilized so much by folks who live close by,” Braddy said.

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