The Food Pantry is run out of the Avalon Community Youth Center, with the assistance of Dan Huncke, the City of Avalon Community Services Director.   The Food Pantry normally provides assistance to 10 to 14 families a week.  With the COVID-19 impact on the businesses in Avalon, the unemployment rate jumped to 90%, and the Food Pantry had almost 800 people showing up each week.

Camp Emerald Bay was able to provide assistance on multiple levels by donating food directly to the Food Pantry.  Items that on hand were donated to the Food Pantry including packaged goods and Camp T-shirts.  By using donated funds, the Camp was able to donate fresh produce including carrots, melons, and potatoes, that were shipped directly to the Food Pantry.  Members of the Emerald Bay staff volunteered their own time to help package the food bags for pickup.  We were able to provide resources and contacts to better enable the Food Pantry to obtain the types of items and quantities that they require.

A special shoutout to the Staff members who assisted at the Food Pantry: Larry Sweets, Erin Woolstenhulme, Brian Dang, Tony Wolf, and Abner Juarez.

Overall, Emerald Bay was able to provide tangible assistance to the Community of Avalon.  Appreciation has been expressed on all levels:

• From Dan Huncke, City of Avalon Community Services Director
• From Avalon Community Church

From members of the Community.  On their last visit, our staff saw many people in town wearing the Emerald Bay T-shirts that were donated on the previous visit.  This led to a few (properly distanced) conversations where the recipients of the Food Pantry directly expressed gratitude for our efforts.