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Help Michele keep the Open Hands Pantry pantry stocked

The Open Hands Pantry pantry in Messina is running low just as demand rises; $2,850 will stock it for 6 weeks.

🇮🇹 Italy3,063 views
Michele Alberto Silvestri
Email verifiedPhoto verified
Messina
Since 2022, our volunteer team has run Open Hands Pantry every Saturday from the back of the old library basement. We started with 17 families, and now we feed 186 each week. Donations have dropped by about 60% this summer, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 16 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Messina market and keep every receipt. Each $20 feeds a family of four for a week. All of the funds go to groceries, fresh produce, and cold-storage costs. Where the $2,850 goes: • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $1,750 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $510 • Baby formula and diapers: $370 • Refrigeration and electricity: $220 Ask me anything below before you decide. I'd rather you were sure.
#food-pantry#hunger#volunteer-led#food

Updates from Michele

  1. Update from Messina: we've started the first stage. We're at 96% of the goal. Thank you for believing in us.

  2. Update from Messina: the first invoice got paid this week. We're at 63% of the goal. Thank you for believing in us.

  3. We're at 17% thanks to 14 of you. I met with the wholesaler and confirmed the amounts. More news soon.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Anonymous 🇯🇵 · $15
  • Zakaria Wahba 🇪🇬 · $50

    “Stay strong. Thought of Michele all day after reading this. - Heliopolis”

  • Rahul D. Tandon 🇮🇳 · $15

    “Thought of Michele all day after reading this. - Hyderabad”

  • Yasmin Nour Tawfik 🇫🇷 · $10

    “God bless. Thought of Michele all day after reading this. - Marseille”

  • Tian Luo 🇺🇸 · $50
  • Chidi Victor Okoro 🇳🇬 · $100
  • Recep Hüseyin Başaran 🇹🇷 · $20
  • Kipchoge Okello 🇺🇬 · $50
  • Regina Luciana Moura 🇧🇷 · $21

    “Happy to help. Thought of Michele all day after reading this. - Ribeirão Preto”

  • Antônia Luciana Correia 🇧🇷 · $9
  • Lipi Parvin Zaman 🇧🇩 · $10
  • Dante G. Rodriguez 🇵🇭 · $100
  • Gauri J. Rathod 🇮🇳 · $77
  • Fernando E. Lozano 🇪🇸 · $17
  • Usman Chukwuemeka Afolabi 🇳🇬 · $59.50
  • Claire May 🇬🇧 · $10
  • Quinn P. Walker 🇨🇦 · $30
  • Omar Tuhin Bhuiyan 🇮🇳 · $30

    “God bless. Thought of Michele all day after reading this. - Saket”

  • James Massawe 🇰🇪 · $5
  • Iwona Konieczny 🇵🇱 · $100

Reviews

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Questions & comments

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  • Haritha W. Namboothiri

    Sending good thoughts, Michele. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. Don't be hard on yourself for asking. All the best.

    • Hanna Beata Sokołowski

      Your post was clear and honest. Sent it to 6 people at work. All the best.

      • Gleb Dmytro Alexeev

        Take care, Michele. Hope you get there. My neighbor in Athens donated after I showed her your page. Take care.

        • Aurélie Zoé Martin

          hang in there, Michele. Looking forward to the next update. I'm in hospitality myself and wanted you to know we're cheering for you. God bless.

          • Jose F. Cox

            Hope the build day goes well, wish I lived closer. Love from Da Nang.

            • Renata F. Hernández

              hang in there, Michele. Great idea, hope you get there.

              • Long Lộc Quach

                Rooting for you, Michele. Projects like this are what make a place worth living in. My brother had a similar thing happen so this one hit home. All the best.

                • Rose Maina

                  Hope things get better soon, Michele. Your post was clear and honest.

                  $3,420 raised of $2,850

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