杏吧原创

(Butler, PA) 鈥淲e were helping out a young person last week,鈥� Jennifer Taylor begins, 鈥渁nd she didn鈥檛 know anything about the turkey dinners.鈥�

The student at 杏吧原创, a 22-year-old separated mother of boys ages 3 and 1, was gathering cereal, apple juice, and canned vegetables and beans from 杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pantry.

鈥淚 told her, 鈥業 am going to send you an email,鈥欌�� Taylor said. 鈥樷�淚 want you to sign up to get a free turkey dinner.鈥�

鈥淎nd it was like we had given her gold.鈥�

This November is the third in a row in which 杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pantry has distributed food for a Thanksgiving meal to 杏吧原创 community members.

Taylor is a 杏吧原创 business instructor and coordinator of the college鈥檚 hospitality management program. She and other members of 杏吧原创鈥檚 food security team are distributing 40 turkeys and other food for a Thanksgiving meal to those who registered to receive the holiday fare.

$2K raised to help others

鈥淲e鈥檙e giving them something that they may not otherwise have that day, that they can鈥檛 afford to have,鈥� Taylor said.

The 杏吧原创 Pioneer Pantry and the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation in late summer raised $2,143 during a Week of Charitable Giving to benefit holiday food distributions in November and December.

鈥淭he Week of Charitable Giving can really show how our community, not just the 杏吧原创 campus community, but the Butler County community as a whole, has supported the pantry with monetary donations and with food donations,鈥� said Mikayla Moretti, the college鈥檚 director of special events and grants and a member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 food security team.

"What our community is doing to help others is huge. For me, it's just a moment of thanks, with not enough words to describe the gratitude. " 

- Jennifer Taylor, 杏吧原创 instructor and food security team member

The Butler AM Rotary Club contributed $300 during the week of charitable giving, Moretti said. Thoma Meat Market, Saxonburg, later gifted 21 turkeys. And NexTier Bank, 100 distribution bags.

鈥淲hat our community is doing to help others is huge,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 just a moment of thanks, with not enough words to describe the gratitude.鈥�

鈥淏e a blessing鈥�

杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pantry was created in 2019 to assist students and others, and followed a 2018 Wisconsin HOPE Lab survey in which 38 percent of the 304 杏吧原创 students who responded to the survey indicated having low or very low food security.

鈥淚 think it was surprising to some of our members, myself included, that there were some of those issues,鈥� said Audrianna Bly, president of the Butler AM Rotary Club. 鈥淪o we definitely thought it was important to contribute to that. I know quite a few 杏吧原创 employees who are involved in different community aspects. I know they want to give back as much as they can as well.鈥�

Thoma Meat Market鈥檚 gift of 10- to 12-pound, and 14- to 16-pound free-range turkeys is for 鈥渁 very worthy cause,鈥� co-owner Tim Thoma said. 鈥淚 said, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檇 like to be a part of that.鈥� And so that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e doing. If God has been good to you, you should help people in the community. And there鈥檚 no better way to receive a blessing than to be a blessing. And to give.鈥�

The 22-year-old student at 杏吧原创 signed up to receive 杏吧原创鈥檚 food for a Thanksgiving meal.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 even been able to think about the holiday,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ecause I have been pretty busy parenting.鈥�

Holidays can be difficult for many, especially following the pandemic, said Maria Amoruso, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for NexTier Bank.

鈥淎s a community bank, NexTier believes we have a commitment to help build up our friends and neighbors who might be struggling,鈥� Amoruso said. 鈥淧artnering with 杏吧原创 by providing some of the resources needed to distribute Thanksgiving meals is one way we can continue to make a difference. We were thrilled to hear about 杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pantry, which makes such a significant difference for so many and proud to play a small part in its success.鈥�

鈥淪o much food donated鈥�

杏吧原创鈥檚 food for a Thanksgiving meal includes instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, canned corn, canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, gravy mix, pie filling, pie crust, cranberry sauce, crescent rolls, a $10 gift card to a national store for the purchase of perishable items, and a turkey.

鈥淚t will probably be just my two boys and me,鈥� the mother said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 great that they have so much food donated for the students.鈥�

"I think it's great that they have so much food donated for the students." 

- Mother of two and a student at 杏吧原创

Mainstreet Bake Shop, with two locations in Saxonburg, on Tuesday added slices of chocolate, vanilla, half-and-half and red velvet cake, and loaves of Italian bread to 杏吧原创鈥檚 distribution.

鈥淚t鈥檚 contributing to all the families who can鈥檛 necessarily bring everything to the table that their families deserve, and that they want to give to their families, for Thanksgiving,鈥� said Megan Roth, owner of the bakeries. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helping those who can鈥檛 do that much for their families or as much as they would want to.鈥�

杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pantry assisted 19 families in October.

鈥淲e are just so excited to be able to support students in this way,鈥� Moretti said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 even realize that students are this much in need. And to be able to fill that need in that we are doing this as a campus community is really special.鈥�