Don Abbott is the director of the United Ministries Food Pantry at the northeast corner of the Senior Center.

By Laurie Lechlitner
InkFreeNews

ROCHEESTER — “I retired from Sonoco Products (Akron) in 2001,” stated Don Abbott, Rochester. “But I love people and I enjoy being busy. So, directly after retirement I began volunteering at the United Ministries Food Pantry at the north-east corner of the Senior Center. I became the director in 2003. I enjoy seeing people and helping families who are hungry.”

Abbott is no stranger to food service. “When I was growing up, my parents owned a grocery store. The store was open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. My parents put in long days. Even when I was very young, I remember going in to assist by stocking shelves and helping wherever I could.”

The food pantry is open three days a week, two hours a day. “I go in for about 20 hours a week. I’ll sweep or mop floors, make sure everything is in its place. I also go to the grocery store to stock up on needed items.”

Since Abbott is 85 years old, sometimes he needs assistance at the store. “A man from the Catholic Church in the area will meet me at Walmart. We pick up a lot of food. It’s a great help when there’s two of us to load things in the vehicle. He’ll come back and help me put everything on the shelf. I can also count on some of our volunteers to help with the shopping.”

United Ministries Food Pantry has six churches that are active donors. They also have a number of factories that donate money.

“We have private donors who sometimes give us supplies. For example, one of the factories donates a substantial amount of pork for the families at Christmastime. Thanks to generous people, churches, and businesses, we never totally run out of money. We welcome contributions.”

Hamburger is expensive and hard to come by. “We pick up a limited supply for families. Anymore, hamburger is kind of a luxury. We are able to supply sausage, bologna and hot dogs in larger quantities. We also supply milk. We get deliveries of day-old bread from Kroger’s each week.”

Abbott has 17 volunteers who serve the public Monday, Wednesday and Friday. “Our ladies love to get together here. This is not only a chance for them to help hungry people, but it’s a social time. We’re all senior citizens. I remember when I was the youngest person at 63, now I’m one of the oldest at 85. But I’m still very active. I’m so thankful for my good health.”

It pulls at the volunteers’ heartstrings when they see the extreme needs many of the families face. “Because of the necessity to pool their money, many of our families live in multi-dwelling homes. If it wasn’t for those of us in the community lending a helping hand, I don’t believe they would make it.”

However, the food pantry strives to make family time there a pleasant experience. “We have some bikes the kids can ride inside and have candy for them. I love serving the people. They come in and we learn a bit about their history. We guard their confidentiality, but sometimes they choose to share their stories with us.”

Abbott has been married to his wife Lois for 63 years. They have three grown children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Abbott’s an avid gardener.