Up until the end of last month there wasn’t a real need for a food pantry for the people living at Deercreek Apartments in Fort Dodge.

According to Debbie Pickett, director of the Fort Dodge Housing Agency, it was the last week in June when word was received that the congregate meals being served for the elderly and disabled there five days a week were being cut. For the elderly, those meals would go from five days a week to three and for the disabled there would no longer be any congregate meals.

Recently, Pickett was asked if there was any food available from a resident who was hungry. She was unable to help him and her stress of not being able to help with her tenant’s most basic need spilled over onto a Facebook post Thursday.

The post was a call to the community for help. Pickett started a gofundme page and Randy Kuhlman, chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation, has assisted in developing a way for funds to be donated safely through the organization online at www.fd-foundation.org or by check or cash directly to the FDCFD at 24 N. Ninth St., Fort Dodge, IA 50501.

A Pack the Pantry event is planned for 6 to 9 p.m. today in which people are encouraged to donate nonperishable food items while they shag the drag in downtown Fort Dodge. Also, the Sharing Kindness Fort Dodge organization is hosting Pantry Packing events throughout the day that will be posted on Facebook.