Medina food pantry honors volunteers, including retiring treasurer

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Pastor Sohail Akhtar of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church offers a prayer and welcome at the annual volunteer appreciation luncheon for the Medina Food Pantry, located in the church’s basement.

Jim Hancock is congratulated by Robin Dubai at a luncheon for volunteers at the Medina Food Pantry, located in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. Hancock has announced he will step down at the end of the year as treasurer of the food pantry after more than 40 years.

MEDINA – The Medina Food Pantry, operated out of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, paid tribute to its many volunteers at an annual appreciation luncheon last week.

Robin Dubai, food pantry coordinator, said some of the volunteers go “above and beyond,” like Jim Hancock and Sally Grimm.

Grimm is volunteer coordinator and Hancock, who has been treasurer for more than 40 years of the pantry’s 46-year existence, has announced he will step down from the position at the end of year.

“It’s time for someone else to take over,” he said.

Volunteer Michelle Capstick has offered to assume the duties, Hancock said.

The Medina Food Pantry serves an average of 60 families a month, according to Dubai. Eligible families must live in Medina and present proper ID. Each family is entitled to a paper bag filled with non-perishable food items and meat when it is available.

As coordinator, Dubai shops for meat and groceries items that are not donated. Meat is purchased through donations and a Foodlink grant.

“Jim instigated a fundraiser in the village recently, and it was a great success,” Dubai said. “The community was great to us.”

She also said hunters will sometime donate venison from a deer they shot, and many people love that meat.

“We are blessed to have food and monetary donations,” Dubai said.

She also said they are very thankful for their dedicated supporters, like Lake Wine and Spirits and Cindy Hewitt, who continually collect donations for the food pantry.

The food pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday.

Sally Grimm, left, and Robin Dubai introduce volunteers for the Medina Food Pantry at their appreciation luncheon last week. Grimm is volunteer coordinator, while Dubai is food pantry coordinator.