Just Us Ministries food pantry helping feed the hungry
Food pantries in and around Polk County are slowly whittling away hunger, and it has never been easier for locals to get the help they need.
Just Us Ministries is one essential stop for food, water, and over the counter medicine, and those interested can visit on Tuesday from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. through 12 p.m. at 904 Youngs Farm Rd., Cedartown.
Guests must be 18 years or older and have a photo I.D, but those taking home goods are invited to visit more than once per week. Everyone gets the same amount of product with each trip, but the available items will sometimes vary.
“Everything’s pre-packaged,” Just Us Ministries CEO Allen Ray said. “You get (a bag of) food, water, and medicines. All of them are over the counter. Sometimes we have people with special needs, so we also have stuff like adult diapers.”
Available foods can include everything from non-perishable canned items to chips and vegetables, and frozen and refrigerated foods like milk and eggs are sometimes available too.
Since Just Us Ministries purchases the prod- ucts themselves, they can better select items that are needed by the community, and patrons can rest easy knowing the medicines and food are vetted for quality and safety by the Just Us Ministries volunteers.
Guests should understand that only one household member can take home goods with each visit, however.
“We’re a non-profit organization, we don’t get any government funds,” Ray said. “We have a board of directors and that’s where we get our money from. We’re affiliated with the Atlanta Food Bank, and everything we do is up to their codes.”
The group even transports the items themselves using self-funded vehicles, and a rentto-own warehouse next to the pantry stores even more food. Everything said and done, the group spends thousands on food each week, so there will always be help for those who need it.
“We go a couple times a week to Atlanta and different agencies to get groceries,” Ray said. “We pay for everything, and we take care of quite a few families every week.”
Just us Ministries is currently taking volunteers, and those interested in applying or finding out more information about the pantry can visit https://www.facebook.com/Just-UsMinistries-Food-Bank-1564220847149591/ or call the office at 678-901-1009 for more information. Potential applicants are warned that the position is much more than a two-day job, however.
What started as a motorcycle club has now been a food pantry for four years, and a larger, paved parking lot and a more handicap accessible building are just a few of the plans Ray has in mind for the future of Just Us Ministries.
“This is our fourth year,” Ray said. “Just Us Ministries started out as a motorcycle club. We did community service rides for cancer patients, then we started giving groceries away to families during Christmas. Then we got to looking around and we decided we would build a building, and now we’re here.”