MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
In the face of increased demand and fewer donations, faith-based Greenhouse Ministries is struggling to keep its shelves stocked for residents in need.
Cliff Sharp runs the Murfreesboro food pantry and is asking the public to pitch in.
"We're averaging about 30 families a day coming in for food so the food really goes out," he said, adding, "Last week our food got down to nearly nothing."
The food pantry is in need of non-perishable food items that can feed families for about a week.
"The main thing we need is pastas and like canned meat, you know, pork and beans, dried beans, dry peanut butter, macaroni and cheese [and] those types of things," Sharp explained.
Their clientele also includes people who have no place to call home.
Sharp said, "We need to get things with pop top lids because we have a lot of homeless people who come in [and need foods they can eat] straight from the can."
Last year, Greenhouse Ministries served 39,000 people.
Sharp has a staff of six volunteers who are the lifeblood of his organization.
Sydney Johnson and Tyler Gattie from Bethel United Methodist Church donated their time Wednesday.
"It makes me aware of people that don't have what I may have at home [and] how good I have it," Gattie said.
Johnson added, "[It] makes us feel good inside."
Monetary donations are always welcome as Sharp says they can really stretch a dollar.
"We buy food from Second Harvest which is great because we can get food for 20-some-odd cents a pound," he said.
He can also buy meat from the food bank, an item food pantries typically can't afford.
Greenhouse Ministries is located at 309 South Spring Street in Murfreesboro.
To donate, call 615-494-0499 or visit GreenhouseMin.org.
