Kiwanis Food Pantry

On Saturday May 10th, a new food pantry will open in Springville, thanks to the local
Kiwanis Club, Mountainlands Head Start, and a lot of creative thinking. This all started
with a meeting with a meeting with on March 18, with Kiwanis Club of Springville
member, Brent Haymond, meeting with Tom Hogan, associate director at Community
Action Services & Food Bank, and local volunteers to finalize the launch of a new food
pantry. In many respect, it’s birth was due to the CIVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic decimated the raising of money for the Kiwanis Club service
projects. Much of the money raised every year was done at the Scone Booth at the
Springville Art City Days celebration, which was canceled. But the little band of about 12
members still carried on with helping the community.

In December, the Kiwanis held its annual food drive brought in 17 tons of food
compared to 12 tons in a normal year. “We were taken back by the Community
support.” It allowed the club to fill boxes with 70 pounds of food each. 300 boxes were
delivered to local churches and more. Kiwanis then gave 150 boxes to the Nebo School
District for at-risk families,” Haymond said. “We had 125 boxes left over. Kiwanis
decided that the food raised in Springville should go to Springville people over the year.
Haymond said: “Kiwanis contacted Community Action’s Food Bank and agreed to give it
the leftover food to them and it would, in turn, return back weekly orders to replenish
the pantry throughout the year.” “This will be a great opportunity for the citizens of
Springville to step up and help each other through hard times,”

The pantry was started with over 4,000 pounds of staples gathered by Kiwanis during
the Sub-for-Santa food drive. Mountainlands Head Start is generously providing the
space. Haymond noted that Head Start had purchased the Grant school, but it needed
new windows and other things before it could open.

“The Kiwanis stepped in and lobbied the legislature, and Head Start was given
$165,000 to fix the school, That is how we got the pantry in a room of the school.”
“Community Action has donated a freezer, refrigerator, shelving and other equipment as
well as providing ongoing restocking of our community pantry.” This pantry joins others
in the state that are partnering with Community Action.

Another organization, “Unite Us”, also will be helping and partnering with the pantry.
According to Leticia Goodman, with Unite Us, the group will be able to link those coming
to the food pantry with other services they may need in the area.
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“Those coming to the food bank often have other needs,” Goodman said. “Some are
getting food and also may not be able to pay their utility bill or see a doctor.” Goodman
said Unite Us connects individuals to health and social services.

“This will be the fourth satellite pantry we will be assisting,” said Tom Hogan, director of
the Community Action Food Bank. “We have had great success in helping the people of
Coalville, Kamas and Heber valley.”

Kent Woolf, Kiwanis president, said he was encouraged by the outpouring of support
from the community.

“It is the people of Springville who will make this work,” Woolf said. “Already several
good-hearted people from all around Springville have committed to fill some of the
permanent volunteer positions.” There will be an ongoing need for several people to
help out for a few hours each of the three days the pantry will be open, Woolf said. “It’s
a great miracle for our community,”

Haymond said. “It is one of our (Kiwanis) best projects in the past 10 years.” Kiwanis
gives “thanks to Community Action Services & Food Bank and Mountainlands Head
Start for collaborating with us on this effort