'Working toward the same goal:' Rocky Fork Community Alliance teams up with other organizations to start mobile food pantry

Hundreds of residents in the Rocky Fork Lake community are benefiting from the volunteer spirit and collaborative efforts of many individuals in the lake area and beyond, thanks to a monthly indoor mobile food pantry spearheaded by the Rocky Fork Community Alliance and Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio.

Rocky Fork Community Alliance president Diane Uhl said that Jackie Bouvette of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio initially reached out to Highland County Community Action, offering assistance wherever it was needed in Highland County, and Community Action suggested Rocky Fork Lake.

“We have a lot of people out here who are retired, and they’re basically living at or below the poverty level,” Uhl said.

Uhl said that Bouvette offered to help set up a mobile food pantry to visit the lake area. The Rocky Fork Community Alliance’s board members met to discuss the idea, along with Greater Life Assembly pastor Red Gallimore, Uhl said.

“A couple of our board members work in various areas,” Uhl, a Realtor with Prudential Chambers-Fite Realty in Hillsboro, said. “Angie Mustard works for Community Action, Shawn Gall works for Turning Point in reentry services and I also work with Kim Boyer, who goes to church out at the lake at Greater Life Assembly on North Shore Drive. Kim got with her pastor, and we all met with Jackie.”

The church offered to allow the Community Alliance and Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio to set up a mobile food pantry each month.

The mobile food pantry visits the church on the first Thursday of every month, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and is open to anyone in the Rocky Fork Lake area.

After serving 119 households at the first event in February, 138 households and 393 people were served at the March mobile food pantry.

“The parking lot was full,” Uhl said. “They were lined up out to North Shore Drive.”

Food is purchased by Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio and brought to the church each month. The Alliance helps with coordinating the event, Uhl said, along with providing volunteers to run the food pantry. The Greater Life Assembly members are also “there supplying not only the place, but also volunteers,” Uhl said, and Paint Township trustees have also provided support and volunteer assistance.

“We’ve also had assistance from Community Action and Samaritan Outreach,” Uhl said. “We’ve had people from all over the place come together and help to make this happen.”

Before visiting the food pantry for the first time, Rocky Fork Lake residents are asked to call Mustard at Community Action at (937) 393-3458. After providing your name and address, Mustard will issue each household a voucher to visit the mobile food pantry.

Once residents arrive at the mobile food pantry, Samaritan Outreach executive director Wade Hamilton and his staff will meet with individuals to determine the number of people in their households and other criteria.

Residents can also meet with Community Action representatives to discuss other services for which they may be eligible.

Tables are organized and set up by category with various food items, including canned vegetables, pasta and sauce, eggs, potatoes, meat and baked goods. There is also a selection of several non-food items, such as diapers, toiletries and paper products.

“We had such a good time,” Uhl said of their first mobile food pantry. “Jackie, who was basically in charge of it all, said it felt like a family.

“I was really pleased because even though it was several different organizations, we’re all working toward the same goal. That’s the best way to get there – by working together.”

Anyone who would like to volunteer on the first Thursday of the month can contact Uhl at (937) 725-6467 or just meet at the church between 9 and 9:30 a.m.

“We even had one retired gentleman who came through in February and picked up his food, and in March he volunteered to come and help,” Uhl said.

Anyone who would like to join the Rocky Fork Community Alliance or learn more about their organization can attend their monthly meetings, which are held on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Activity Center by North Beach.

“We’re just trying to help out,” Uhl said. “There are a few other things we’re hoping to be able to do.”

Uhl said she didn’t “even know where to start” in thanking volunteers and organizers. In addition to Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, Greater Life Assembly of God, Highland County Community Action Organization, Samaritan Outreach and Paint Township trustee Randy Mustard, Uhl thanked Kroger for donating grocery carts for the pantry.

While Uhl thanked all of the many volunteers and organizers for bringing the project to fruition, Paint Township trustee Randy Mustard told The Highland County Press that it “would not have been possible” without Uhl’s leadership.

“This would not be possible without Diane Uhl,” Mustard said. “She has worked hard to put this together."

A total of 34 volunteers worked at the March mobile food pantry event.

“I’m excited about it,” Uhl said. “We had people in tears with everything that they were getting, and I got choked up so many times. We’re so thankful.”

The next mobile food pantry will be offered Thursday, April 7 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Greater Life Assembly.