Vicky Benack feels blessed with volunteers who help feed more than 125 families and seniors each month.

She runs the Grace Community Church Panther Valley Food Pantry in Lansford, which opens its doors twice a month to help those in need in the community.

Ahead of today’s distribution scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon, they unloaded and carried 2,000 pounds of food from pallets Second Harvest Food Bank delivered to the back of the church on Thursday.

Some volunteers muscled three or four boxes at a time up the back steps, while others managed what they could.

With many hands, and many trips, they got the first part of their job done. Sorting or storing the food came next, while others got to work on packing bags.

Before the pandemic, people could come to the pantry on the fourth Saturday of the month, and shop for their food, said Karen Berk, one of the volunteers.

Now, they pre-pack bags for families, she said.

“We started packing 60 bags, and then we packed 90 bags, and we had to pack extra,” Berk said. “Now, we’re at 100 bags that we have, anticipating about 100 families.”

Susan Wagher, another volunteer, politely corrected her. She already packed 125 bags of non-perishables based on need in the community last month, she said.

The last distribution was so busy, it resembled a Thanksgiving food distribution with nonstop people, another volunteer added.

The volunteers believe there is more need due to rising food prices, they said.

And families don’t receive just one bag. They receive one bag of dry goods, such as oatmeal, peanut butter and canned goods, and another bag of refrigerated or frozen foods, such as bread dough, milk, juice and this month – eggs.

“Everyone is a little more excited about (eggs) now that they’re $4 or $5 a dozen,” Berk said.

All of the long tables in the church basement will be lined with purple, re-usable bags, which were donated by Aetna, she said, and participants are good about bringing them back.

The church food pantry also buys bags from grocers, said Pastor Jeremy Benack, who did a lot of the heavy lifting Thursday.

“There is a great need in the Panther Valley for assistance and help,” Benack said. “We want to make sure that we’re helping out. Jesus was very big on helping feed the poor. So, we want to focus on feeding people spiritually and physically.”

Many of the church members volunteer at the pantry, either helping to unload the truck, packing and sorting, or at the distribution, he said.

Some of the volunteers work during the week and only volunteer on Saturday distribution days, Berk said, while others, such as herself, come during the week to sort and pack.

Some come both times.

Wagher, who was pre-packing bags on Thursday morning, said she finds purpose in the pantry.

“Thank God for my church to be able to come here and have something to do,” she said. “It gives me a sense of purpose.”

Another volunteer, Carol Evans, said she wanted to keep busy during the pandemic and wanted to help the community, counting the blessings that she has had in life.

Vicky Benack, whose husband is the pastor, is grateful for the help with the main distribution for families at the end of the month, earlier in the month, on the second Saturday, when boxes are prepared for seniors in the community.

“They are a group of consistent and willing people to help multiple times throughout the month to keep the pantry running smoothly,” she said. “No complaints, always willing to do the Lord’s work for the physical need of our community.

“They are a great group of people and make this a true ministry of Grace Community Church,” Vicky Benack said. “I’m truly blessed to have this group of volunteers.”