Our Pantry Story

This compassion-based organization was birthed out the very spirit of the people of
Wright City. With the withdrawal of a former pantry, the onset of the holidays, and the
poor having few resources to draw from, concerned citizens came together in 2016 to
gather resources and help feed needy families in the Wright City area. Businesses,
churches, and individuals pooled their resources to make sure families had food on the
table for the Christmas holiday.

Former Mayor, David Heiliger, sensing the heartbeat of the city, began to dialogue with
community members about a pantry. He saw the need and sought to rally resources.
He gave, many times, out of his own pocket, challenged those around him to do the
same, and sought to create space for such a pantry to thrive.

It’s out of the multiplied compassion of people like this that we have emerged. We are
nothing more than neighbors helping neighbors. The blessing comes from finding a
surplus in one spot and connect it to needs in another. Our focus is on those in the
Wright City School District and the Wright City Zip Code.

The food pantry is for those in need in the Wright City area. We regularly help families
of all shapes and sizes who come to the pantry the second and fourth Saturday of the
month, weekly on Wednesday nights, and a drive through at the Lion’s Club on the 4th
Tuesday of the month. We distribute perishable and non-perishable items to needy
families, seniors, youth, children and infants.

We not only help with food but with referrals for clothing, jobs, housing, social services,
medical services, mental health services, financial counseling, spiritual counseling and
homelessness. Wright City Community Food Pantry is a reflection of grass roots people
helping those in need next door.

Our Mission
SERVE the needy, LOVE our neighbor and God, GROW clients toward stability.

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Our Values
Our values include partnership and community. We know we work the best when we
work together. Several annual programs happen because of partnerships with those in
our community. The pantry brings together a broad spectrum of local donors and

volunteers to fund and serve clients for Thanksgiving, Christmas, summer lunches and
throughout the year.

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Our Programs
Partnership with businesses, churches, individuals, local government, and other non-
profits to provide a variety of programs through the year. Those programs include:

• Holiday food baskets

• Holiday Toy Drive

• Holiday Adopt-A-Family

• Summer Lunch Program

• Winter Warming Shelter for Wright City

• Winter coats, blankets and space heaters

• Annual fundraising event

• Weekly openings at our location

• Monthly drive through at Lion’s Club Wright City

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Outcomes/Results/Solutions
Our goals are met when the families of the Wright City area who are at risk are able to
maintain stability in their lives. With our support food is on the table every day, kids
can focus on homework and parents can focus on teaching values and character to
their children. As these happen, families can support one another, communities can
thrive, leaders will develop, and we are a blessed village.

Data/Statistics
How my people have we served since our inception?
• 2016 (Sept-Dec) 782 est.
• 2017 2,392 est.
• 2018 3,206 est.
• 2019 3,393 est.
• 2020 3,990 est.
• 2021 4,707 est.
• 2022 5,545
• 2023 6,341
• 2024 8,281
*These number do not include the drive-thru pantry or the summer lunch program.
 

Drive Thru attendance:

2022 (Sept.-Dec.)-2,239

2023-5,524

2024-5,879​

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Local Stories

"Milk Multiplication"
Recently, we were able to receive a generous donation of 14 pallets of milk. Not only
did our clients enjoy such a great abundance but because of our walk-in cooler we
could hold the product and distribute it out too many non-profits in our extended area.
What a blessing it was to our region to provide fresh milk for a healthy diet and
growing kids. This was the result of a generous donor, a gracious transportation
company to provide a box truck, a willing donor who provided a fork lift, and clients forming a human chain to get the milk moved off pallets and
into the cooler (which itself was the result of a government grant)! Beautiful
partnerships with amazing results!
 

"Bonjour!"
At the pantry opening tonight we served many families. Some need help with
translation. One family tonight was struggling. They spoke French. They have been
here before, and it is challenging to communicate without translation, but they still got
some food. Today he got frustrated and pulled in his wife. She got frustrated and
pulled him back in. We all were struggling. I was focused on helping with Google
Translate the best I could, but very poorly. I had seen over 40 families already and it
was taking a toll. As I looked at him with eyes of desperation and a heart weary from
language barriers, when all of a sudden, I heard out of my left ear French words. This
man started to communicate with this voice! My eyes dilated, and my brain went into
shock. I had no French words coming out of my mouth and neither did the Spanish
translator that was near. What was going on?? I looked over to my left and there was
a young adult man that had been helping clients take food out to their cars for an hour
and a half. He had come to volunteer several times, as his work schedule allowed, but
from first appearance had never spoken a foreign word in his life! He was bringing a
cart back up to the front of the pantry and he heard some French in the office. He
thought, “I took some French in college, maybe I could help.” And help he did! Clients
were happy, I was ecstatic, and everyone smiled! Win! More food for a family that now
knows we care and another win for our community. Win, Win! Volunteer of the
day, Wright City Sleeper Unit, located right there at the food pantry!!