When it was time for canning, Chrissy Jones remembers sitting on the front porch as a child breaking green beans and peeling apples and peaches with her grandmother. While she didn’t have interest in it then, Jones has spent the last 20 years collecting and perfecting canning recipes.
Through her canning, her home pantry is stocked with canned meats, thanks to the avid hunters and fishermen in her family, canned produce, beans, and more. A recent addition to her pantry is 36 pints of canned carrots. She did that using a 50-pound bag of carrots she received from Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Eagle Food Pantry during its opening weeks this summer.
Eagle Food Pantry in McCreary County is CAP’s third pantry alongside Grateful Bread Food Pantry in Rockcastle County and Water Into Wine, a partner pantry, in Magoffin County.
“The pantry has been wonderful for the community. We are appreciative for what we’ve been given,” Jones said.
While canning a variety of foods has helped make her pantry items last longer for her family, the Joneses also keep an eye out for people in the community who may need help.
“Everybody knows everybody here in this community. We watch out for each other,” Jones said. “If we see someone hungry, we try to give them some food and tell them about Jesus’s love for them.”
Jones is grateful for the dedication of Eagle Food Pantry’s staff in helping feed the Parkers Lake community. “The staff there have been exceptionally helpful reminding the community of pantry box days and encouraging families to sign up for services. The community knows the staff are always available to help,” she said.
Hunger walks among us, and hurts far too many children, their families, and seniors in Appalachia. McCreary County’s overall food insecurity rate in 2019 was 21.8 percent, according to Feeding America, while that rate for children was 27.9 percent. CAP anticipates nearly 800 families in the area may need pantry assistance. Eagle Food Pantry continues to partner with the community and other local pantries to reach as many households in need as possible.
CAP’s annual Hunger Walk helps increase awareness about food insecurity in Appalachia, collects nonperishable food items, and raises funds to support the pantries. This marks 10 years for the event with this year’s walk sponsored by Texas Roadhouse.
You can help fight hunger and feed hope in Appalachia by participating in this year’s online Hunger Walk activities. You’re invited to lace up your tennis shoes and have your own CAP Hunger Walk wherever you live. Snap a picture and post it on Facebook or Instagram with #HungerWalk21 and tag us @chrisappproj. Visit christianapp.org/HungerWalk21 to create your own online fundraiser that you can share with family and friends. Every dollar makes a difference.
