BDS will host Pop Up Pantry for families in need

Dec. 13--PANAMA CITY -- Christmas is around the corner and Bay District Schools plans to help families who need food for the holidays.

Bay District Schools is partnering with Feeding the Gulf Coast to host a "Pop Up Pantry," that will help families in need of food. The event will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the parking lot of Joe and Jeannette Chapman Field at Tommy Oliver Stadium.

"The idea is that we know that a lot of our families count on the free meals that the kids get during the school year," said Sharon Michalik, Bay District Schools director of communications. "With school closing for the holidays of course that's not going to be readily available, so we want to take this opportunity to push out as much food as we can into the community."

Feeding the Gulf Coast will provide all of the food. As much as 80,000 pounds of food could be provided during the event. There will be fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and shelf stable food.

When it comes to donations or helping those in need for food, recipients sometimes must qualify based on income.

Not for the Pop Up Pantry.

"There are no income requirements," Michalik said. "Because of the devastation in our community and because 100% of our children right now qualify for free and reduce lunch, they are giving us this food to whoever needs it."

There will be a registration form on site to fill out, but it'll only require the name of the recipient, an address and how many people live in the home.

Volunteers will be there to guide traffic in the right direction and provide the boxes of food. Bay District School plans to use this event as a precursor for school-based food pantries at Waller Elementary, Jinks Middle School, Bay High School and Rutherford High School.

Michalik said she believes the event will have people line up early, but will be surprised if there isn't food left over.

"With the amount of food we're getting, I'll be surprised if we run out," Michalik said. "Food for 3,000 families is one of the biggest food pantries that has ever happened around here, so if people will be patient with us we will be able to give them the food they need."

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