As director of the Eastern York Food Pantry, Jim Martin gets to know the clients well. Recently, he noticed something.

"We're starting to get a lot of senior citizens coming to us, and they are having trouble getting in, because we are located in the basement," he explained of the pantry that's housed at Wrightsville Hope United Methodist Church, 404 Hellam St.

Martin initiated a project to install a chair lift at the pantry, reaching out for donations. "We rely on 10 or 12 different churches who do food collections for us as well as individuals who support us," he stated. "We sent letters to businesses and organizations in the area for donations first, because we didn't want to put all the burden on the people who are already supporting us."

The Rotary Club of Eastern York County heard the call and recently presented a check for $1,000 to the chair lift project. It's just part of the Rotary's mission to support the local community, said Rotarian Phil Lehman.

Martin noted that the chair lift project will cost a little over $10,000, and the chair lift itself has already been purchased. He's hoping it will be installed by Christmas.

The Eastern York Food Pantry served about 100 clients last year, Martin said, and the numbers are going up. "We're averaging about seven new clients a month," he stated. "A lot of them are senior citizens."

The pantry is open Mondays and Wednesdays. Clients call on those mornings to schedule a time to come in, Martin explained. "They do their own shopping," he shared. "They can come in twice a month, and we are open to anyone in the Eastern York School District." Clients are asked about income, but only an ID to show local residency is required to receive food.

Clients can shop for a variety of food, from shelf-stable items to fresh fruit and vegetables. The pantry also stocks cleaning supplies and toiletries.

"We are funded just by donations, and ever since the pandemic started, we are seeing more people come in," Martin said. "The price of everything has gone up as well, so we are really relying on organizations and individuals to support us."

He said he knows he can count on that support, adding, "We have a very generous community."

To sign up as a client with the Eastern York Food Pantry, call 717-252-2609 on Mondays or Wednesdays between 9 and 11:30 a.m. The pantry is also looking for volunteers and is always accepting donations. To learn more about volunteering or donating, call Martin at 717-392-9715.