While December fills up with parties, gift shopping, and other festivities, Raccoon Valley Radio’s Caring Christmas Food Drive stresses the importance of giving to your local community’s food pantry.

The Panora Food Pantry is one of the drive’s recipients, located inside the Faith Baptist Church on Highway 4. All residents from Guthrie County and nearby Linden are welcome to access this pantry once every other month. Organizer Dick Ellis says newcomers can contact the church to schedule an appointment, where they share what food and household items they need, “We get an idea of what items that they’re interested in. We require that we have a picture ID, whether it’s a driver’s license or whatever, and also a bill that is at their residence so we know that they are in from Guthrie County. Because we feel as money is given to us we are stewards of that money, and we want to be sure that the money is only going for the food and the people that we’re designed to take care of.”

The pantry is made possible by community donations and assistance from the Food Bank of Iowa. Those wishing to schedule an appointment can find more information in this story call the Faith Baptist Church at (641) 755-3034. The pantry benefits from food and monetary donations made at Panora Hometown Foods during the Caring Christmas Food Drive.