From left are Janet Trowbridge, with Country Church Food Pantry; Leah Hartung, with First Merchants Bank; Steve Weidner, Shiela Thompson and Karen Worsham, all of whom are associated with Helping Hands, First United Methodist in Bourbon. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

Staff Report

BOURBON – First Merchants Bank recently provided two food pantries in Bourbon with $1,500 each to help bolster their efforts.

The donation is part of First Merchants Bank response fund after recognizing the imminent need of the communities hit by the pandemic, said Leah Hartung, representing the bank.

Hartung met recently with representatives of Country Church Food Pantry (north of Bourbon) and Helping Hands Food Pantry, which is in the basement of the Bourbon First United Methodist Church.

Representatives of both pantries said they are normally well stocked with a wide selection of food.

The pantries generally serve people in the Bourbon, Tippecanoe and Etna Green areas.

Helping Hands is open from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Country Church Food Pantry is open 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays.