Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Allen.
Hi Dawn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to Johnson City in 2018 and began volunteering at the Johnson City Christian Food Pantry a couple of years later. Tim Vasquez was running the JCCFP at the time and he was a wonderful pillar of the community. He, his wife Margie, and several outstanding citizens of Johnson City saw a real need for those who were not able to put food on their tables. Starting as Helping Hands and then developing into the Johnson City Christian Food Pantry, a 501(c)(3) charity that supports all citizens of Blanco County. Tim was a wonderful man who passed away in 2023 and without his leadership and guidance we volunteers would have been floundering. I took over the position of Operations Manager, and have been in that position since that time.
The Johnson City Christian Food Pantry serves about 130 families in Blanco County. These families represent about 250 people. The JCCFP hosts food demos by the AgriLife Extension, so that the families can see healthy food preparation and ask questions. They also host blood pressure and glucose screenings free through the local Wesleyan nurse.
The JCCFP has very generous donors from local churches, meat markets, grocery stores, schools, private donors, restaurants, and local civic groups.
The JCCFP is also a partner with the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin and receives guidance, and supplies from them.
The JCCFP hopes to be a place where Blanco County residents can come when they are in need.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Things haven’t always been smooth, but we have managed to get through those times with the help of our community. We have had several times when our large walk-in freezer needed maintenance quickly. It was something we couldn’t wait to get fixed and a company out of Austin helped us get our freezer back up and running. Anytime there is a need for volunteers people always step up and if we are ever out of something, like bread for instance, we just put out the word and we have more bread than we can hand out!!
As you know, we’re big fans of Johnson City Christian Food Pantry. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our Food Pantry does not turn anyone away, even people that may be passing through and are in need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jccfp.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Johnson-City-Christian-Food-Pantry-100064757797384/
