A baggie of rice. A can of peas. Two granola bars. A box of macaroni. A can of tuna. Four-day-old bagels. Three small bags of Doritos. Two servings of coffee. A can of salmon. One package of ramen noodles.
That's what you get on Thursdays at the Salvation Army food pantry between A and C streets near West 20th Avenue. You can show up there once a month.
When I visited last Thursday, traffic was steady. Kathy Lytle, the case manager, shuffled across the concrete floor, assembling shopping bags of food as fast as they were going out. A grocery store donation of baked goods and ripe fruit meant there was a little extra that day. Lytle could offer small choices to people who wouldn't be there if they had a choice.
"Angel food cake or pecan pie?" she called across the counter.
"Pie!" answered a father, a refugee from Africa with seven children at home.
Last year, the staff had to squeeze boxes of cereal on top of cases of canned beans. Now the shelves have wide empty spaces.
Read the complete story at adn.com