July 2025 - Executive Director’s Update

Food Pantry Family,

I hope you are doing well.

While many of us naturally think of November and December for big family holidays, I have always loved July. Many of us in the area have grown up attending the annual fireworks displays at Arnold City Park or Jefferson Barracks in addition to shooting off our own fireworks on the 4th of July. However, July has taken on a new meaning since I began at the pantry nearly two years ago.

July means hamburger and hot dog buns. Grocery stores always over order these items around big holidays like Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day to ensure they do not run out. Whenever the rush for these items dies down on the 5th or 6th, the overstock of buns typically end up at your local food pantry. Unfortunately, due to the over 25% increase in client demand and the on-going meat shortage affecting food pantries nationwide, our pantry did not have 500 packages of hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken patties to make use of these buns for our clients.

This is why I am so grateful for all of the people who have signed up to make monthly donations to the pantry, the businesses who make annual donations during our Taste of Arnold event, and those who shop at our Treasure Shoppe to support our pantry. They allow the Gateway Food Pantry to fulfill our mission to treat each person we serve with dignity and respect. This enabled us to purchase brats or burgers for all of our clients at the pantry so we could pair each bun with a meat meal and we could all enjoy summer as intended.

Thank you for all your support of the Gateway Food Pantry. Our clients and volunteers appreciate all you do for us. Stay cool! Fall will be here before you know it.

Patrick McKelvey

Executive Director of the Gateway Food Pantry