On the big distribution day for the holidays on Thursday, Dec. 16, the Dayton Food Pantry will operate from the Dayton Community Center at 170 Pike St. from noon to 5 p.m. Freida Carbery, director for the Pantry, explained that with the unemployment in Lyon County at nearly 20 percent, donations are especially welcome this holiday season.
On the other days of December, the Food Pantry will be open for emergency food needs as usual, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4 Enterprise Way and Highway 50 (east of Smith's Grocery) Monday-Friday.
Carbery stressed that dozens of Dayton area individuals and groups contribute to keep the Pantry going - schools, service clubs, businesses, youth leadership groups, churches, nonprofits, law enforcement, etc. are all pitching in.
Community Responds: Soroptimists, the public library, Kiwanis, Juvenile Probation Office, Kukuis Alii Animal Rescue, Calvary Chapel, Dayton Ward of Church of Latter-day Saints, The Misfits Theatre Group, every Dayton school, Dayton Intermediate Leadership, Dayton High Leadership and Honor Society, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Stand Tall are all regular volunteers and contributors.
Among on-going donations, Dayton Valley Nursery provides extra storage for the pantry and advertises services on its reader board on Dayton Valley Road. Dayton Valley Golf Club provides on-going support, especially during the holidays. Healthy Communities Coalition directed recent fundraising proceeds to the pantry and its staff writes grants for the pantry on an on-going basis. Community Roots nonprofit nursery donated excess vegetables and fruit to the pantry throughout the summer, and Smith's grocery has been a continual supporter with large donations of all kinds. Lyon County Utilities picks up the tab for water, BCB Ventures generously donates the valuable building space at 4 Enterprise Way, and businesses like Curves, Starbucks, and The Grocery Outlet have been steady supporters with food and donation drives.