OLEAN — The Olean Food Pantry has reopened its doors for families to come inside and get the food they need following over a year of being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Later this month, the pantry will host two COVID-19 vaccine clinics in collaboration with the Cattaraugus County Health Department.
Since last spring, pantry guests could only get food through drive-through pickup, but it recently opened its doors for families to pick up the fruits, vegetables, meats, grains and dairy products there need.
“We try to create an atmosphere as normal as possible,” said Courtney Callahan, a pantry warehouse manager. “That’s why you get the grocery cart, you come through and you choose.”
Those who do come inside the pantry to shop are asked to continue to wear a mask and social distance. Shoppers are also asked to bring their own reusable grocery bags if possible.
“We try to encourage families, before they go grocery shopping, to come and see us first,” she said. “Then you can stretch your dollar a lot more.”
When customers enter the front door, they sign in with a volunteer at a computer and receive a card with the number of people in the customer’s household that will tell them how much of each type of food they can pick up, Callahan explained.
“We try to make it as personable as we can,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a really tough decision for people to come see us, so we try to make it as fun and as much of a good time as we can.”
With customers using grocery carts, Callahan said they are able to maintain the 6 foot social distancing.
“The hardest thing is making the decisions,” she said. “Everybody is really patient and understands. They’re just so happy to be able to make those choices.”
Throughout the week, donations from local grocery stores and gardens — from fresh fruits and vegetables to packaged meats and dairy products — are brought to the pantry for customers to choose from, Callahan said.
“Now that we have kids out of school, I try to encourage the volunteers to give extra if we have it because kids rely on those meals now that they’re home,” she added.
The pantry has also partnered with the nearby Bethany Lutheran Church to have a “pet pantry” once a month, Callahan explained. Families can pick up cat or dog food from the church after signing up at the food pantry.
“There was a common theme of families really needing one thing but also had to get a 40-pound bag of food for their dog, so they had to choose,” she said.
During the pandemic, pantry volunteers would fill up boxes with food and hand them out in a drive-through system, Callahan said. However, each family received whatever was in the box rather than choosing the items that are best for them.
“It’s tough with diets and religious exemptions and allergies,” she said. “We were doing 120 families when we first shut down.”
For many families during the pandemic, the drive-through way was their first and only experience until the inside recently reopened. Callahan said about 80 families had come inside the pantry to choose their foods themselves on June 25 while only six people picked up a pre-packaged box through the drive-through option.
Callahan said the pantry is available for anyone, whether employed or unemployed, young or old, regardless of family size.
“If you grocery shop, you should come here first,” she added.
The vaccine clinics, to be held in the pantry parking lot on Leo Moss Drive, will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Monday, July 12, and 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 16.
The vaccine being administered is Jansen (Johnson & Johnson) and requires a single-dose administration. Individuals 18 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Appointments are recommended but not necessary. To make an appointment, visit https://www.cattco.org/covid-vaccinfo.
The Olean Food Pantry is open Monday, 12:30-4:30 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 372-4989 or visit oleanfoodpantry.org.
