Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ampersand Pantry Project has provided more than 90,000 free lunches to individuals and families in need.
April 16 marked the one-year anniversary for the program that operates out of the old Tastee Freez building on East Market Street. The sign in front of the drive-through food pantry was changed to mark the milestone.
“It has a real community feel to it. I like that part a whole lot,” said Peter Burnett, founder of the Ampersand Pantry Project. “Most of us don’t have to look too far to find someone in our family or in our neighborhood who has had a tough time and that’s what’s community is about. It shouldn’t be survival of the fittest. It should be we are all in this together- and we are. This is great proof of it. People really enjoy their work here.”
Meals are donated by area restaurants. They also include a granola bar, juice pouch and fresh fruit. In addition to lunches, the project provides diapers and pet food. Fresh carnations are also handed out as a way to make people feel special.
At the celebration, Burnett said he greatly underestimated the project. “In some ways I underestimated the good things too. I underestimated the generosity of the community. I underestimated how many people would come help us,” he said.
“The number of meals is where I started underestimating. I thought we’d do 50, 60 or 70 meals a day and that lasted about three days. “We were up over 100 by the third or fourth day. Within a week we were over 200. And we’ve gone as high as 300 on a regular basis and beyond that.”
Each day cars line up along East Market Street for the free lunch program, which starts at 11:30 am. There’s been a small decrease in demand. Roughly 250 meals are served currently. Restaurant contributions, donors, and volunteers have been critical to the project continuing. Burnett said they intend to keep the project running until it’s no longer needed.
To learn more
For information about volunteer opportunities, contact Gabriela Lamas at gabriela.lamas.2001@gmail.com or 571-919-1382. The address for the Ampersand Pantry Free lunch program is: 335 E. Market Street in Leesburg.
