Healthy Communities’ SILVER STAGE FOOD PANTRY
Residents of Silver Springs and Stagecoach partner with Healthy Communities Coalition in volunteer service to improve food security through the Silver Stage Food Pantry. Volunteers range from ages 6 to 84. This diverse group of dedicated volunteers come from all walks of life, united by the belief that no one should go hungry.
Together with Healthy Communities Coalition and many local, state, and federal groups, the Pantry volunteers offer emergency food needs in a way that preserves dignity. People visiting the Pantry find a welcoming and confidential environment that respects privacy and acknowledges how difficult it is to ask for assistance.
The mission of the Pantry is to involve the community in improving local food security in a way that nurtures empathy, respect and compassion. The Pantry provides a basis for understanding that the people experiencing hunger and food insecurity are our neighbors and our friends.
The Pantry’s unique approach has been such a success that it has been toured and observed by representatives from USDA Rural Development, United Way, Walmart, Community Chest, and many others.
The Pantry empowers people to access the resources, tools and training to be self-sufficient as quickly as possible without placing additional stress on them. For example, there is a certified Community Health Advocate on site who periodically offers training in diabetes self-management, mental health “first aid”, tobacco use cessation, etc. The Pantry also partners with the adjacent Silver Stage Food Co-Op to offer a community garden and gardening education. Community Chest, a regional nonprofit, provides a staff person at the Pantry once a week to help people connect to job skills training and to find and apply for jobs in the area. Health providers like Carson City Health and Human Services offer flu shots and other services at the Pantry at various times during the year.
Pantry volunteers and staff receive training about area health, employment, education, parenting, nutrition, gardening, and housing resources so that they can share this knowledge.
The Pantry welcomes volunteers and is always in need of donations.
Funding comes through grants, USDA, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, and community support including fundraisers by pantry volunteers, schools, businesses, clubs and farmers.
It is located at 3595 Ramsey Weeks Cutoff and hours are 10am-4pm, Monday through Friday. Contact director Kathy McIntosh at (775) 577-9161 or Christy McGill at Healthy Communities at 246-7550 for more information.
