The Botetourt Food Pantry is located in the lower level of the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Ministry Center in Fincastle. Lions from the Daleville/Fincastle Lions Club go to the pantry on the fourth Saturday of the month to help bag food, move food for distribution, and help load cars for families who come to receive food. This is one of the service projects adopted by the club that is able to proceed during the pandemic.
Forty years ago, Reedie Waid of Fincastle started the Botetourt Food Pantry 40 years ago. It has grown continuously and is currently serving approximately 185 families/600 people monthly. The pantry includes USDA food that is distributed through Feeding America on a monthly basis. Clients are required to fill out paperwork, which is provided to Feeding America. The Food Pantry does a monthly report as well as a semi-annual report indicating totals of those provided with food and an inventory of the USDA food. The Food Pantry is open from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays, and by appointment in case of emergencies.
The pantry includes non-perishable canned goods, frozen meats, breads and baked goods as available. The variety of food is dependent on the donations of groups, individuals, and the items available to purchase through Feeding America and local grocery stores. The food is given from the lower level of the St. Mark’s Ministry Center, which has its own entrance. A “Prayer Request” box is always available in the Food Pantry, and the volunteers for that day take the needs of those to their home church on Sundays.
