ELIZABETHTOWN — As residents around Bladen County know, four days without power equals spoiled food, and Bladen Crisis Assistance’s food pantry in Elizabethtown is in the same boat.

“We had to give away or throw away all of our meats and other refrigerated or frozen foods,” said Food Pantry Director Cathy Page. “But God is so good. I was feeling down about throwing away all this food, and went to the grocery store, and on my way out, I saw some women who looked like they needed help, and started talking to them and offering them the food we were having to get rid of. One of the ladies started crying and saying they had just been talking about how they couldn’t afford to get more food. It encouraged me that we didn’t have to waste it, and more importantly, they got food that they needed.”

To replace its supply, the organization gets food from the Second Harvest Food Bank in Fayetteville. A supply run was planned for Monday, but inaccessible or closed roads made the trip impossible.

“That run provides food for us for six weeks, and we weren’t able to get there,” said Page.

The food pantry is planning to open Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. to give away what food they do have, but Page said they are in need of donations. Anyone able to donate food items may drop tem off at the food pantry behind the King Street gym.

By Chrysta Carroll

ccarroll@civitasmedia.com