Cargill Cares Food Pantry and Project Share need volunteers

Cooperation, communication and teamwork are all needed in order to conduct MCMC's Cargill Cares Food Pantry and the adjoining Project Share Resale Shop. Behind the scenes of caring for Moniteau County families in need are, from left, Judy Barbour, of Project Share; MCMC board member Steve Miller; and Cargill Cares Food Pantry managers Max Wachter and Barb Mannering.
Cooperation, communication and teamwork are all needed in order to conduct MCMC's Cargill Cares Food Pantry and the adjoining Project Share Resale Shop. Behind the scenes of caring for Moniteau County families in need are, from left, Judy Barbour, of Project Share; MCMC board member Steve Miller; and Cargill Cares Food Pantry managers Max Wachter and Barb Mannering.

Cargill Cares Food Pantry has stood on the north end of Latham Road in California for just about five years. Its purpose not only is to feed Moniteau County families in need but to share food with six county schools and serve as a helping hand in case of a crisis. However, there's one thing Cargill Cares could use: more volunteers.

As a project of Moniteau Christian Ministries Center, Cargill Food Pantry packs and distributes around 800 buddy packs each month and hands out baked goods, produce and other food items to families several times each month, totaling about 600,000 pounds of food last year. Adjacent to the food pantry is a thrift store called Project Share. Donations of clothing items, household needs, toys and other items are sold to those in need for a minimal cost. Just like their neighbor, in the case of an emergency, Project Share will distribute clothing items to families.

In 2014, the 303 Latham Road location was built, giving Moniteau County residents a place to go for their home needs. Soon after, Project Share noticed a need of their own, manager Judy Barbour said.

"We were able to add a little building off the Project Share side for more room and workspace," Barbour said. "There's a lot of sorting, packing and moving around here all the time and we just needed (more) space for all that."

Volunteers at Project Share spend a majority of their time sorting through donations, Barbour said, of which there are plenty. As for the shoppers, they do not necessarily need to be clients of the food pantry in order to shop. Anyone in the low income bracket may peruse their shelves.

Last year, volunteers clocked 9,972 hours and distributed 6,204 buddy packs. These volunteers included members of area school student councils, youth groups and girl/boy scouts.

All volunteers must sign a non-discrimination clause, yet never is a volunteer turned down from helping. MCMC board member Steve Miller said more often than not, some of the volunteers are prior clients that were on the receiving end of the food pantry.

Shame is sometimes an obstacle for families coming to the food pantry, ordering and distribution manager Max Wachter said.

"We've learned not to judge because you really don't know what anyone is going through," Wachter said. "But you know, it's the American way. You just don't like to ask for help. But that's exactly what we're here for."

Wachter gives all the credit for the hard work to just one "person."

"I give God all the credit, really," he said. "This is God's food pantry as far as I'm concerned. But people have to think of it like this: It's not a handout, it's a hand up. A lot of people don't know they need help, or they just let their pride get in the way."

Despite this disposition of some families, Cargill Cares still receives donations from the high school, the Turkey Barn of Terror, local donations and donations from churches who are in the ministerial alliance. Around 15-20 organizations each month donate to the food pantry.

Barb Mannering, who serves as the Cargill Cares client and statistical manager said she and her team also assist in an inmate ministry for Tipton Correctional Center. Clothing and other items are given to inmates upon release in order to give them a smoother transition to civilian life.

The Cargill Cares Food Pantry distributes food to families from 3-5 p.m. the first, second and third Thursday and Fridays of each week and from 9-11 a.m. the third Saturday of each month. Clients must bring social security cards for everyone in their household and proof of address upon receipt. For more information, or to volunteer, call Max Wachter at 573-291-1397 or Barb Mannering at 573-291-4405.

Project Share Resale Shop is open from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each Thursday and Friday and each Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, or to volunteer, call Judy Barbour at 573-230-2316.