Tis the season to volunteer at the Open Door Food Pantry

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – The Open Door Food Pantry in South Walton lives up to its name, serving neighbors in need no matter the hour.

“We are open to serve no matter what time it is, morning or afternoon, they’ll still get food no matter what,” said volunteer Willie O’Neal.

The pantry began in 2018 serving about 100 people each week. Today, that number has grown to more than 2,500, according to pantry manager Carole Bishop.

“We’ve known a lot of the people that come through here since the very first day. We’ve seen them grow up, we’ve seen them have babies,” Bishop said.

Inside the pantry, volunteers sort and organize donated food items for distribution. Much of that food comes from Emerald Coast Food Rescue, which currently makes deliveries three times a week. However, Bishop said those deliveries are expected to decrease in the new year.

While shelves are stocked for now, Bishop said supplies can disappear quickly.

“January and February tend to be our lean months, and our shelves will be empty,” Bishop told NewsChannel7.

The pantry depends on both donations and volunteers to continue operating. Volunteer Serena Robison said helping close to home makes a difference.

“With things the way they are right now, we feel so helpless,” Robison said. “You know I may not be able to get on a plane and fly to Washington D.C., but I can certainty get in my car and drive down to the food bank and help out.”

That sense of connection is what keeps volunteers returning, O’Neal said.

“You get used to certain people coming and you get to know them, almost like family building,” O’Neal said.

This year alone, the Open Door Food Pantry served more than 126,000 neighbors and plans to continue its mission of feeding the community into the new year, Bishop told NewsChannel7.

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