Weekly meals for families and seniors in Columbia

Since 2021, our volunteer team has run Open Hands Pantry every Sunday from the back of a school canteen. We started with 14 families, and now we feed 339 each week. Donations have dropped by about 35% this rainy season, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 20 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Columbia 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 $3,950 goes: • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $2,000 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $980 • Baby formula and diapers: $530 • Refrigeration and electricity: $440 You're what makes this possible, and I'll never forget it. - Bennett