I recently toured the Lodi Food4All Pantry, which served over 5,000 residents of the Lodi area last year.
There are no income requirements and no registration. Fresh, wholesome food is available to all who need it. The pantry also serves as a community gathering space. Its volunteers deliver food to those who can’t come get it, giving them food and a friendly face. The pantry receives food from Foodlink and from area farms and businesses.
I talked with Karel Titus and met volunteers Sherry Hayes-Schwab, Scott Lawon, Nancy Cook, Micci Bogard and Marti Macinski. On one recent day alone, pantry volunteers handled over a ton of food. We talked about what the pantry does, what it would like to do and its future. It’s located in the former Presbyterian Church, which will some day become the new Lodi Town Hall. The pantry is concerned about how much space it will get when the new Town Hall is built. It would like to grow and to apply for grant money to help expand its mission.
I hope you enjoy the conversation. Thanks to everyone at the pantry for their time and generosity.
