Food Pantry thriving in Prairie Lea

By Anthony Collins

Situated at the southwestern edge of Caldwell County lies a region referred to as the Tri-Communities consisting of Fentress, Prairie Lea, and Stairtown. Within this area, Prairie Lea is the home of the Prairie Lea Fighting Indians and Arrows, as well as the Tri-Community Food Pantry.

During the summer of 2023, Margie Carpenter, a Caldwell County resident, took the initiative to launch a food pantry after a discussion with Pastor Keith Maddox of Prairie Lea Baptist Church. Maddox encouraged the congregation to discover its passions, prompting Carpenter to express her desire to establish a food pantry for the community. This conversation led to the development of a plan to bring this vision to life.

The pantry’s operations are sustained through the generous support of the Prairie Lea Baptist Church, which provides both financial aid and food donations to help those in need. In addition, the pantry also benefits from the contributions made by the Caldwell County Food Bank, ensuring that they are able to continue serving the community with essential food items. This year, the Prairie Lea Baptist Church is hosting its annual Vacation Bible School from Aug. 4-8 and is seeking donations of canned meats, fruits, and vegetables to support the event.

The food pantry has been in place for slightly more than a year and has already provided assistance to over 100 families in the Caldwell County region.

“This is all part of God’s plan, and we will keep doing it because it’s all about Jesus,” Carpenter said.

Currently, Carpenter and her two teenage daughters are responsible for grocery shopping and assembling the bags, although Margie mentioned that they could benefit from additional volunteers.

The Tri-Community Food Pantry can be found at the Prairie Lea Civic Center, at 6899 San Marcos Highway. Operating hours for the pantry are on the last Saturday of each month, starting from 9 a.m. and ending at noon. If you are seeking more details or are interested in volunteering, contact Margie Carpenter at 512-210-4171.