"Words cannot express how grateful we are for the food bank. It has enabled us to eat three meals a day. You do such a great job. Thank you so much!"

"Your food bank has blessed my family beyond words. Because of it, my family is eating more vegetables and fruits and less baked goods. Thank you for all you do and a big thank you to all the volunteers."

These are two of the positive text messages received by Ken Ross, board chair of the Honey Brook Food Pantry (HBFP), from clients served by the pantry this summer. The texts were published by Ross in the pantry's summer 2021 report.

To further illustrate the effectiveness of the pantry, Ross reported that more than 100 families were surveyed anonymously in May and June to assess their approval of pantry services. "The overall satisfaction rate of 98% was certainly gratifying as were the 31% making positive write-in comments," Ross stated. Comments included the following: "Pantry is great. Thank you"; "Wonderful service"; "Smooth, well organized"; "Needs always met"; and "Love all the volunteers."

The HBFP serves 10,000 pounds of food a month to approximately 250 families, assisted by 80 volunteers. As indicated by the comments, Ross said, the pantry's success can be credited to the volunteers. "Our fabulous volunteers are often referenced as they are the backbone of the work that we do," Ross stated. He encourages people to witness the volunteers' dedication by viewing a video on the pantry's Facebook page that was posted on May 27 when volunteers distributed food to 300 clients during a severe rainstorm.

Ross concluded the report by stating, "Honey Brook Food Pantry is well prepared to do whatever is needed to address food insufficiency in the area. The community can be 100% confident that we will be there each week with a great supply of healthy food whenever it is needed, especially in emergency situations."

The HBFP is located at the Good Food Distribution Center, 5064 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook. Two distributions are held each month - on the second Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on the fourth Wednesday from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

The pantry is currently seeking help from local gardeners or farmers who have extra produce to donate. Produce can be dropped off on distribution days prior to 10 a.m. or 4 p.m.

HBFP is also planning two fall fundraisers at the Honeybrook Golf Club - the 2021 Music Fest/Micro Fest on Saturday, Oct. 2, and its annual golf outing on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

For more information about the HBFP, visit http://www.honeybrookfoodpantry.org or search for "Honey Brook Food Pantry" on Facebook. For up-to-date information about food distributions, call 610-273-6102 or contact Ross at KRoss1414@aol.com.