‘We need your help’: Amelia County Food Pantry in need of new roof

AMELIA, Va. (WWBT)—For more than thirty years, the Amelia County Food Pantry has been helping others. Now, it is asking the community for help in keeping its building safe.

“The resounding message that I really want to get out is we need your help to be able to continue this ministry we have here of feeding the hungry. Our motto here is that no one in Amelia County goes hungry, and we want to make sure that we can continue to stand and do that,” said food pantry Director Joi Worsham.

When people come to the food pantry, they hope to leave with everything they may need for themselves and their families.

“They’ll get a bag of a variety of meat. They’re able to get fresh produce, which includes vegetables and fruit,” she explained. “They also get a bakery bag of a bag of bread and a bag of desserts. They also get dry goods.

Worsham says the food pantry is like a family; people are proud to give their time, but the decades-old building it is housed in is creating challenges for the mission.

The roof on the building is flat, making it easy for water to sit and eventually seep inside.

“We are having leaks, and we try to get some repair work done,” she explained.

It has become apparent that the best solution would be a roof replacement, but Worsham says the cost is high for the non-profit.

She recently made a Facebook video asking for help.

“People have been coming giving quotes, and most of the money is material. With the economy, materials are going up,” Worsham explained. “The estimate [one man] gave was $44,000. We pretty much function all these years by donations only; it’s tough.”

She hopes the community, not only in Amelia but beyond, may be able to help them. Whether that is a professional roofer who can do the work at a lower cost or the community helping raise the money needed for the replacement.

“We are hoping to get it out there so people can help support us because we do not, unfortunately, have the money to pay for it,” said Worsham.

If you or someone you know is a professional roofer who could help, contact the On Your Side Investigators at investigators@12onyourside.com.

The Amelia County Food Pantry is collecting donations via mail: 21502 Patrick Henry Hwy, Jetersville, VA 23083.