STOCKTON — Prodisee Pantry will host a food distribution beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 9 at Zion Fountain AME Zion Church, 55185 County Road 21, Stockton.

“It’s about hunger at Prodisee Pantry,” said Deann Servos, executive director at Prodisee Pantry. “Food, family and faith are how Prodisee Pantry does it.”

For a few years, Prodisee Pantry partnered with Zion Fountain AME Zion Church and Eastern Shore Baptist Church to hold quarterly satellite food distributions in of Stockton.  As the Pandemic dragged on into 2021, Prodisee Pantry expanded to monthly food distributions. Numerous churches now support what has become known as Second Saturday in Stockton.

“Reaching and expanding our services to this rural food desert are important, particularly as the Pandemic kept this mostly senior community homebound,” Servos said.  “Transportation and the far distance to grocery stores and healthy food options are obstacles for many. That is why we are bringing services here.”

Infirmary Cancer Care and North Baldwin Infirmary are partnering with Prodisee Pantry to provide cancer screening information as well as diabetes education for the North Baldwin community, said Emily DeSalvo, manager of marketing, outreach, screening and prevention for Infirmary Cancer Care. 

“The rural North Baldwin area is a food desert,” DeSalvo said. “Research shows that residents living in food deserts have increased health issues such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and overall poor health.”

Kristina Pittman, executive director of North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce said the Chamber is proud of the work Prodisee Pantry is doing.

“They identified the needs of this community and are proactive to get the residents the resources they need,” she said. “We are very blessed to have their services and cannot thank them enough for what they do."

For 19 years, it’s been about hunger at Prodisee Pantry, Servos said.

“But, it’s not just food, it’s connections, referrals, encouragement and support as families navigate from poverty or crises to self-sufficiency,” she said. “This community ministry runs on the energy of volunteers, the generous support of the community and prayer.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, Prodisee Pantry has distributed over 4 ½ million pounds of food in over 43,000 family visits. 

For more information call 251-626-1702, visit prodiseepantry.org or email volunteer@prodiseepantry.org.