Del Norte's choice food pantry is in need of healthy volunteers. Photo courtesy of Pacific Pantry.

Del Norte’s choice pantry is looking for healthy volunteers to help those in need during the COVID-19 emergency.

Pacific Pantry has shifts ranging from two to three hours Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, according to a Community Food Council Facebook post Wednesday. Though the pantry is a small space, making it difficult to social distance from others, as a food bank it’s considered an essential service like grocery stores, Food Programs Coordinator Andrea Lanctot, told the Wild Rivers Outpost.

In addition to asking for volunteers that are healthy, Lanctot said they’re looking for those that haven’t traveled.

“The way we’re doing it for right now, and we’ll maybe modify it, but volunteers are coming in an hour before the pantry opens to start prepping things like putting eggs in cartons and cutting cheese and stocking up,” Lanctot said. “Last week they were pre-packing bags and people were just grabbing grocery bags.”

In addition to resuming its normal hours, Pacific Pantry will also offer patrons a choice of items again. One reason, Lanctot said, is to cut down on waste. When visiting the pantry, clients will receive a form where they can check off what they want. Staff and volunteers will place those items in their box or bag, she said.

“They won’t be coming into the pantry,” Lanctot said of its clients.
Pacific Pantry, 494 Pacific Ave. in Crescent City, is open from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

Clients are expected to show ID and sign in. Households are allowed emergency food once a month. Those who are picking up food for someone else must bring a signed note and ID.

For more information, email Andrea Lanctot at lanctot@frcredwoods.org.

SHARE →