Food for Fines: THIS WEEK at the Manchester Library

CRC Food Pantry. Photo courtesy of the Rossie Hutchinson.

All this week the Manchester District Library will be accepting food items as payment for library fines. All donations will be given to the Manchester Community Resource Center’s food pantry. To participate, please take your shelf-stable food items to the library between April 19-25th. Each item donated will count as $0.50 toward overdue fines. Please check the expiration dates before donating; expired products cannot be accepted.

The CRC has provided the following lists of items currently needed and items they currently have enough of.

Items needed:

condiments
salad dressing
mayonnaise

canned/jarred food (metal cans or plastic jars preferred)
salsa
spaghetti sauce
canned pasta
canned chili
low-sodium soups
shelf-stable soy milk

healthy snacks
whole grain crackers
graham crackers
dried cherries
fruit leather (100% fruit)

baking goods
flour
sugar
brown sugar
spices (oregano, thyme, cinnamon, etc)

soap products
laundry detergent
dish soap
cleaning products

Items not especially needed at this time:

macaroni & cheese
peanut butter
canned tuna & chicken
common canned fruits & vegetables
common canned soups

The CRC is a non-profit organization located at 410 City Rd. They are a valuable, time-tested resource that helps community members through difficult times. In their office, they work to connect needy community members with public and charitable programs—from health care applications to job search assistance. They also operate a food pantry where they provide direct assistance to low income families in Manchester and anyone experiencing a food emergency.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.