Hands of Hope food pantry seeks new location

Castro County Hands of Hope is desperately in need of a new location. Cofounder and current vice president Janet Sammann said the building they currently occupy has been sold and must be vacated by Oct. 1.

Sammann and the CCHoH board are very concerned about the inevitable gap in service to patrons, especially the elderly on fixed incomes.

CCHoH is looking for at least 1,500 square feet of space to rent or purchase. The main requirement is an electrical capacity that can support a total of 10 refrigerators and freezers. Another important requirement is a location with an adequate area for traffic flow and parking.

CCHoH is presently located at 113 W. Jones behind the library and across from Panhandle Community Services. If anyone is aware of a location that can fulfill these requirements, please call Janet Sammann at (806) 3695133 or Kristina Holcomb at (806) 283-8467.

Castro County Hands of Hope is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 2017 by Janet Sammann and Linda Rasor when both worked at Castro County Hospital District. The organization serves the Castro County community with a food pantry, wheelchair ramp construction and used home medical equipment. Both Sammann and Rasor agreed that many families and elderly in this community needed a little extra help, especially during a medical crisis. Castro County Hands of Hope was the result.

According to Sammann, CCHoH has served the community well. The main Hands of Hope endeavor is the food pantry, which currently serves an average of 133 families per month and provides emergency food boxes to local churches for people in immediate need.

Sammann said that recent inflation has caused a significant increase in pantry use. In 2021 the average number of families served per month was 107, while 2022 has seen an increase to a monthly average of 133 families just since April.

CCHOH purchases an average of $354 of food per month from High Plains Food Bank in Amarillo. The average cost of supplementing a family’s food supply averages $2.66/family each month.

Many businesses, organizations, churches, and individuals donate financially to CCHoH. The nonprofit accepts and distributes gently used home medical equipment to anyone in need and has built over 20 wheelchair ramps with Texas Ramp Project. CCHoH also helps families that have experienced a crisis such as a house fire or medical emergency.

Castro County Hands of Hope is managed by a board and relies on community volunteers with a heart to serve those in need. Current board members are Kristina Holcomb, president; Janet Sammann, vice president; Martha Ibarra, secretary/treasurer; and Shelly Smith, Rebecca Rodriguez, Diane Townsend, Joyce Wright, Father Raj Malapady, Teresa Fuentes and Tori Jurado.

Volunteers from local churches, residents and Dimmitt High School students assist to provide the manpower that makes CCHoH a success. Funding is provided by the area’s generous community of churches, businesses, organizations such as Lions Club and individuals.

Castro County Hands of Hope is eager to find a new location and continue their service.