Papa's Pantry . . .
Bringing People, Communities and Resources Together

Papa's Pantry is branching out, not only in facilities, but also in new services. "Sometimes I would get into a situation where family or marriage counseling was needed," she said. Family Solutions came into the picture, a volunteer counseling group that was seeking a place in Canton at the same time as Lynne. The result is a home on Main Street in downtown Canton, which now houses Papa's Pantry and Family Solutions. The staff at Family Solutions each has individual private practices and they volunteer at Family Solutions. The staff includes Family Counselor Kay Busby-Wardrip, Child/Adolescent Counselor Erin Busby, Life Skill Class Instructor Sheryl Vaughn and Substance Abuse/Education Counselor Sandra Amador.

Lynne plans to continue reaching out to the community through the local churches. Families can call and make an appointment to come by for food for one week. They are asked to complete a questionnaire and return it to Papa's Pantry to begin the meat, dairy and produce program, which includes food for two weeks. "Our goal is to put nutrition into the household," Lynne said. Several organizations including The TowneLaker collect food for Papa's Pantry. A barrel is conveniently located in the lobby of The TowneLaker for anyone who wishes to donate non-perishable food. Monetary donations are used to purchase the perishable products. Families needing food can contact Papa's Pantry at the main office (770) 926-7128 or the Canton office at (678) 493-3943, or visit www.papapantry.org.

The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for Family Solutions.

Papa's Pantry is celebrating its 6th Anniversary this month. The growth of this ministry has been single handedly achieved by Lynne Saunders who operated Papa's Pantry out of her basement, which still is used for some of the non-perishable items.

What motivates Lynne to humbly serve others? "No one should ever go hungry with all the resources available to us," Lynne said. When money is in short supply or non-existent, families must begin making choices as to where to spend what little they do have or receive. Food is often the first category that gets cut to keep the roof overhead and the lights on. In 2003, Papa's Pantry furnished groceries that served more than 15,500 meals.

Papa's Pantry is a Christian based non-profit organization. Lynne stressed, "Service without Scripture is a waste." And she follows through with this statement, "We do not push religion, but it is the foundation of our organization."