Community resupplies Samaritan Center

A short time ago the Samaritan Center in Jefferson City was nearly out of food, but an influx of support from the community has helped them ensure 1,300 Mid-Missouri families have enough to eat.

"It's been great," said Marylyn DeFeo, volunteer executive director. "People are just walking in with food.

Delories Barbour, left, and Martha Rudroff, who volunteer Wednesdays at the Samaritan Center, work to fill orders. (Julie Smith/News Tribune photo)

"It's a beautiful thing to see."

Things weren't so great for the Samaritan Center two weeks ago after 80 percent of the supplies they received from the Central Missouri Food Bank's Second Harvest was diverted to the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina.

The center depended on Second Harvest for a third of their food supplies. With that support nearly gone, DeFeo said, for the first time, she felt real fear over how the families they support would cope.

"I just was very afraid. We were really getting down to bare bones," DeFeo said. "Graham crackers, oatmeal -- nothing you can build a meal around."

With supplies low, the Samaritan Center stopped providing families with basic necessities that food stamps can't buy, such as laundry detergent and toilet paper and only bought food.

But after the public heard of the need, they were quick to get involved, bringing in enough bags of groceries and money to carry the center through the month

"We've had little kids come in with their piggy banks," DeFeo said. "People walk in with fives and tens and others write a check for $100 or $500. It's great."

DeFeo said she isn't sure how much food they go through each month, but it's an enormous amount, at least several thousand pounds.

One thing that has dropped lower than usual is the costume donations for Halloween. Last year the center donated more than 500 costumes, but this year they've only received 20-25.

With generous food and financial support the community has provided, and the uncertainty as to when food supplies from Second Harvest will return, DeFeo said they haven't been pushing the costume drive as much as they have in years past.

"Food is more important than a costume," DeFeo said. "You don't want to wear out your donors."

cknott@newstribune.com

Volunteers at Jefferson City's Samaritan Center gather around the food counter Wednesday morning and pray for the workers and their families who may be injured or ill, as well as being thankful for the donated food items. They prayed over the food which is about to go out to Samaritan Center clients and they prayed that the donations will continue. The breads, rolls, cookies and pies on the near table will all go out Wednesday. They are all donated by local stores, bakeries and resturants.. (Julie Smith/News Tribune photo)