For 10 years, the Manheim Central Food Pantry has provided services to residents of the Manheim Central School District at 334 W. Gramby St. To mark its decade at that location, the pantry will hold an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25.

"We will have members of our board there to take people on tours of the food pantry," said Cathy Knittle, chairperson of the organization. "People will be able to walk around to the different rooms, and we'll have volunteers stationed in each room to explain what's in that room. We'll also have some light refreshments available."

Along with showcasing the pantry's inventory, the open house will provide the public with opportunities to learn about volunteering, donating items or registering to become a client, Knittle stated.

"We want to invite people to come in and see how the pantry has changed in the past 10 years," she noted, adding that the organization recently purchased the building, so the open house will be a celebration of that as well.

The Manheim Central Food Pantry operated for many years out of the basement of a local church. When it relocated to its current location, the former parsonage of Salem United Methodist Church, it was able to increase inventory to better serve clients. "We are a supplemental food pantry," Knittle said, noting that the organization is a member of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg. "We have milk, eggs, frozen meats and fresh produce, not just canned goods. Over the years, we've gotten quite a few freezers and refrigerators, so we have the ability to keep fresh and frozen items." Additionally, clients may pick up personal care items, such as toilet paper, paper towels, tissues and shampoo.

Knittle noted that the need for the pantry has increased over the past few years. "Our number of registered households has doubled," she said. "We're seeing a lot of new registrations."

Anyone who resides in the Manheim Central School District is eligible to receive items from the pantry, she commented. "We have a nondiscrimination policy, and everyone is accepted," she said, adding that clients must complete a self-declaration annually, listing their income and the number of people in their household.

She encourages anyone who's interested in learning more about the food pantry to come to the open house. "We are here for the community," she said. "Come and see what we do."

For more information on the Manheim Central Food Pantry, visit http://www.manheimcentralfoodpantry.org.