About 12 years ago I met a man named Jim Harlin through my position at the local Chamber of Commerce. He was a kind and generous man who's primary goal was to "feed people in our county". He was the beginning of my inspiration to give. I watched him throughout the years as he opened and managed the food pantry, The Community Pantry, non-profit.
My heart was broken when he passed away in 2012. My thoughts were 'what in the world are we, as a community, do now? I thought nobody can or will put into this organization what he did, heart and soul. I just knew that the organization was going to suffer tremendously. And it did.
In the beginning of 2015 the position of Director for The Community Pantry was advertised in the local newspaper. I thought to myself, who would be the perfect person for this job. It would have to be someone with a passion for the people within our community. Someone who understand the needs of the community. Because our community is community like no other. Not only is this place designated as a "food desert", but McKinley County is also the second poorest population in the state of New Mexico. With over 60% of our population receiving assistance through Government Programs, this meant that our children were suffering nutritionally on a daily basis and the quality of life needed to be changed for these children and the future of our community and it's members.
After much thought, I discovered that the perfect person for this job was myself. I knew personally what Jim's goals were, what his passions were, and I had a lot of the connections necessary to perform this task. I have put in countless hours, energy that I didn't realize I had, learning how to make the operations of this organization go again.
The Community Pantry is a non-profit organization that feeds over 3,000 people every month, with an additional 650 children every weekend during the school year. All of these people within one county in the state of New Mexico. Also affiliated with The Community Pantry is the Grants Pantry which is located in a neighboring county of Cibola. Within Cibola County, we feed over 600 people a month and an additional 110 children on the weekends during the school year.
We not only furnish nutritional foods, but we help educate our community on the importance of healthy eating. We have a community Hope Garden available to everyone to come learn how to grow their goods, prepare their goods through our commercial kitchen, and then feed their families in a healthy and better way.
By stepping up, stepping into Jim's shoes, and trying to accomplish the goals necessary to continue his vision, it has proven to be one of the most rewarding things I have done in my lifetime. I feel that I have created a betterment for my community, my children, my grandchildren and I have set a precedence for my employees, our volunteers, and the community.
Review from #MyGivingStory