MoneyFood & hunger
Help John keep the Open Hands Pantry pantry stocked
John runs a volunteer pantry feeding 342 families; this fund restocks shelves for the rainy season.
🇺🇸 United States1,415 views
Since 2022, our volunteer team has run Open Hands Pantry every Saturday from the back of the mosque courtyard. We started with 22 families, and now we feed 342 each week.
Donations have dropped by about 60% this rainy season, while the line has grown every single week.
We rely on volunteers - 12 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the San Diego market and keep every receipt.
Each $40 feeds a family of four for a week.
All of the funds go to groceries, fresh produce, and cold-storage costs.
Where the $3,150 goes:
• Fresh vegetables and fruit: $630
• Refrigeration and electricity: $220
• Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $2,300
I hope life is good to you.
Updates from John
Update from San Diego: I met with the wholesaler and confirmed the amounts. We're at 31% of the goal. Thank you for believing in us.
We're at 13% thanks to 10 of you. we've started the first stage. More news soon.
- Abdullah Faisal Osman 🇪🇬 · $25
“Stay strong. Thought of John all day after reading this. - Heliopolis”
- Anonymous 🇪🇸 · $74.50
“All the best. Thought of John all day after reading this. - Madrid”
- Anonymous 🇺🇸 · $20
- Anonymous 🇮🇳 · $50
- Rina Priya Kabir 🇬🇧 · $30
- Kweku Kwaku Acheampong 🇬🇭 · $5
- Halyna Milena Kuzmenko 🇺🇦 · $8
- Janet T. Griffin 🇺🇸 · $20
- Yuna Mio Ito 🇯🇵 · $200
“All the best. This is from my last paycheck, glad to do it. - Kawasaki”
- Wulan Winda Halim 🇮🇩 · $56
“Take care of yourselves. Thought of John all day after reading this. - Semarang”
- Chitra M. Rajan 🇮🇳 · $200
- Yolanda A. Urbina 🇺🇸 · $38
- Noel M. Ocampo 🇵🇭 · $25
- Abubakar Henry Adeyemi 🇳🇬 · $20
- Neha J. Rajput 🇮🇳 · $57
- Anonymous 🇯🇵 · $200
- Esther Yetunde Aliyu 🇳🇬 · $54.50
- Anonymous 🇳🇬 · $48.50
- Anonymous 🇮🇱 · $20
- William L. Porter 🇳🇿 · $25
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Good luck. Looking forward to the next update. I told my book club about it and three of them are giving too!
Best of luck, John. Shared it with a few friends.
Praying for you, John. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. I'm in logistics myself and wanted you to know we're cheering for you. Blessings
Thinking of you, John. Your post was clear and honest. We had a similar scare last year, I know what it feels like
you're not alone, John. Hope the build day goes well, wish I lived closer. Take care.
sending strength, John. Hope this works out for you. My late mom used to say help given quietly counts double. Blessings.