North Fremont Food Pantry

About 10 years ago, Reverend Barbara Bunsold and Klara Varga Bainbridge saw a need for a food pantry in Ashton. They wanted it to be community-based with the idea of all denominations helping, participating, and donating. Klara approached the City Council and Mayor at a City Council meeting about the idea and wondered where there was space available to have the Food Pantry. They offered the space in the upstairs of the Ashton Community Center, and it was a done deal. They made the Ashton Community Center home for the North Fremont Food Pantry.  The North Fremont Food Pantry distributes food every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. You must have photo I.D. and can receive food once a month. The volunteers who run the North Fremont Food Pantry make up boxes ahead of time for a family of 2 or 4 which includes about $35 of food and personal items for a family of 2 and about $70 of food and personal items for a family of 4. The North Fremont Food Pantry serves 35-45 families. That is approximately 120 individuals per month. A challenge that continues for the North Fremont Food Pantry is knowing that there are many individuals or families out there that need food but don’t utilize the North Fremont Food Pantry. They recently have seen an increase of senior citizens, whom they are happy to help.

The North Fremont Food Pantry board would like to find a way to reach out to those in need and be able to help them. And as in any organization striving to help the community, volunteers are always needed on Wednesday nights when food is distributed and other times to sort and shelve the donated food. Funds are always appreciated and needed for meat and groceries that the pantry is low on. So, anyone that would like to donate to the North Fremont Food Pantry, it would really be appreciated! Also, those wishing to donate canned foods and/or non-perishables can drop them off at Dave’s Jubilee or at the Ashton Library.

The North Fremont Food Pantry is made up of a board. They meet every 2nd Wednesday of each month at 3 pm. Anyone wishing to help is welcome to attend. For questions please call John Blower @ 208-709-4717, Ron Albaugh @ 208-709-6072. We as the Ashton Area Chamber of Commerce are thankful for the North Fremont Food Pantry and the service it provides for our community. We hope as the holiday season approaches that we can all be mindful of our neighbors and their possible needs at this time and throughout the winter months.