Help wanted! Bread Shed seeks donations, volunteers to continue mission

During a four-day period in September, Bread Shed volunteers gave away nearly 25,000 diapers, 50,000 pounds of food and served a hot meal to those in need of one.

They repeated diaper distributions again this week in Butler County, serving 500 families on Thursday with about 25,000 more diapers. The food and meal efforts are a longterm continuing effort to make sure no one goes hungry.

The diaper distribution is held on the second Thursday of each month and was added in February, said the Bread Shed Board Member Jim Ward. The diapers, he said, are purchased by the Bread Shed at a discounted rate.

“We hand out 50 diapers per child for basically anybody that comes in,” Ward explained. “ … We usually have some donations from different places,” which allows for other items, such as wipes, to be given.

In September, Ward said, the group gave out produce, milk, baby cereal and a “new mother’s packet,” donated by Walgreens. It contained items such as children’s shampoo and pacifiers.

“Whatever we can get them that might help them, we try,” Ward said. “Every time they have milk available (at the SEMO Food Bank) … if we can get it, let’s give it out.”

Initially, Ward said, volunteers expected to serve 50 children each month.

“Our very first month, we had 145 … it just keeps growing and growing,” with 495 receiving diapers last month, said Ward. “That was 24,750 diapers. That is a lot of diapers.

“ … If they can save 40 bucks on diapers, that’s $40 they can spend on food.”

So far, Ward said, they have not run out of diapers.

Farmers for Families

The Bread Shed’s food distribution also has continued to grow and expand in recent months.

“Every Friday since May, we have been giving out produce boxes,” said Ward, who indicated they call the giveaway “Farmers for Families on Fridays.”

Four hundred boxes, each weighing 30-pound, initially were being given away, but that number grew to 600 boxes and then to 800 in August, he said.

“I had to increase the food boxes because we were having over 600 cars show up,” Ward explained. “ … We were having to turn people away,” but only “just one week.”

Although initially distributed through Chartwells on the Poplar Bluff Middle School parking lot, the boxes are now being distributed at the First Church of God on Business 67.

On the second Friday of September, Ward said, 24,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables were given away as part of the free Farmers for Families federal program.

The Bread Shed also bought an additional 12,000 pounds of food — chicken, milk, cheese and potatoes — from the Food Bank, said Ward.

“We give it all out at the same time as the people drive through” said Ward, who indicated it takes a lot of volunteers helping on distribution day.

Longtime services

The same week, as it has on every second Saturday of the month for the past 10 years, a food distribution was held at the Bread Shed’s building, Ward said.

“We gave out right at 11,000 pounds of food in our normal distribution,” Ward explained. “That is routine, and we had over 300 people.”

Set up in the street outside the building, Ward said, there were pallets of food, “maybe frozen pizzas or some type of meat,” milk, eggs, canned goods, produce, bakery items and some type of liquid, either bottled water or soda available.

“Then, we followed that up on Sunday by cooking a hot meal,” Ward said. “ … We started out serving like 40 people” 10 years ago.

The Bread Shed, Ward said, has not stopped any of its services, but “added to and increased” what is being done.

“We have reached so many people” who are in need, Ward said. “I’m not saying we’re reaching every single soul (but) it seems like we’ve got it saturated according to the Food Bank.”

And, that need is not decreasing, which is something, Ward said, is “discouraging to me.”

As far as Poplar Bluff, “we have knocked a huge dent in that,” he said. “We are seeing people travel from outside our Poplar Bluff area, from Piedmont, Greenville, Silva, all these places, that don’t have (places) like this to help.”

A lot of people, he said, also are picking up for others in need.

Distribution changes

On the most recent Friday, Ward said, 500 food boxes were given away, along with pumpkins.

“We asked for 1,100 boxes,” but the allotments were cut in half statewide, he said.

The five Fridays in October “are going to be the end of it,” Ward said.

This month, he said, all the food — produce, milk, chicken, cheese, eggs — will be included in one 30-pound box.

“It’s a really nice box (but) it all comes in one box now,” Ward said.

Help wanted

Ward said the Bread Shed always is looking for volunteers and donations to keep helping others.

“We started out with no money 10 years ago, and we still have no money,” he said. “This year, we are going to have given food to 50,000 in total, and have as much money as we did 10 years ago.”

The program, Ward said, is “a way for us to bring hope and encouragement and share Jesus.

“The food is not what we do … the food is just the vehicle we use to try to reach our neighbors.”

More information about the Bread Shed can be found on its website, www.breadshed.org, or its Facebook page, where announcements about upcoming distribution events are shared.