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Rodney Cook of Fredericksburg unloads groceries yesterday at Warsaw United Methodist Church. |
BY FRANK DELANO
A Fredericksburg oil company and a Culpeper grocery distributor donated $500 of food yesterday to help a Northern Neck church feed the needy.
The 22 cases of soup, rice, beans, peanut butter and apple juice will supplement food that the church receives from a food bank and distributes to the poor each month, said Janine Howard, pastor of Warsaw United Methodist Church.
A story in The Free Lance-Star Dec. 12 caught the attention of Patty Ernst, district manager of Quarles Petroleum's five convenience stores in the Northern Neck area. Each store contributed $50 to the effort, she said.
"We wanted to give back to the Northern Neck community because they welcomed us when we came down here two years ago," Ernst said.
Quarles' grocery supplier, Merchants Grocery Co. of Culpeper, matched the stores' $250, she said.
Howard said the newspaper story also prompted Dennis and Darlene Gallahan of Spotsylvania County to donate 100 pounds of food, including 25 dozen eggs. A Northern Neck family also gave food and $250 to the church's food-distribution effort.
This month, the church distributed 240 bags of free groceries. A church official said demand for food assistance is increasing due to the high cost of food and tough economic times.
The church's next distribution will be Jan. 9.
Frank Delano: 804/333-3834
Email: fpdelano@gmail.com
