Program areas at The Outreach Connection
The Outreach Connection continues to rush towards The rising needs of those facing hunger in our community. The operation of The food pantry has become The encompassing focus of The services provided to those in our area. In 2022, The Outreach Connection food pantry program provided over 63,881 pounds of food and hygiene supplies at no charge. An ancillary, but integral part of The Outreach Connection food pantry is The guidance we provide to navigate and access The resources of other local agency programs. Pantry goers are either unaware of, or unable to successfully tap into help that is available to them depending on their distinct situation, and we not only guide them to available programs, but help them connect to The right program for their needs.
The final two programs that we provided to The community is The "adopt a family" holiday gift giving program, and The gifted wardrobe, a no charge clothing distribution program to The food pantry patrons who are in The most fragile situations. In 2022, we gave 34 families essential clothing for The members of their households. It is important to note that while 31 threads, The clothing thrift store located in The same facility as The food pantry serves as a fundraiser for The pantry operations, is also a means to allow The purchase of quality clothing at a significantly discounted price to any member of The community. The adopt a family holiday program is a massive undertaking in which we organize a very distinct program where members of The community provide specifically asked for/needed gifts for The holiday season to families that do not have The means to do so. In 2022 over $11,000 of gifts were collected from The community and distributed to The families that frequent The pantry throughout The year.
The Outreach Connection works tirelessly to engage volunteerism to connect and strengthen our community. In 2022, over 12,000 hours of volunteerism were contributed by members of The community in an effort to support our programs. These hours spanned direct pantry volunteerism as well as volunteer hours at 31 threads (The clothing thrift store that is The largest financial support of The pantry) as well as community groups who performed repairs, maintenance, marketing, fundraising, grant writing, and special projects.