The Penningroths

For the Penningroths, the idea started small. Through an adult activity at Wayzata Evangelical Free, Paul and Lisa packed bags with food and delivered them to IOCP. “Seeing others involved got us interested in doing more.”

Armed with the list of needed items, they made a monthly family outing of going grocery shopping and dropping off the food at IOCP.

“The economic downturn affected our investments,” admitted Lisa. “While we’re fine, it made us realize how quickly a change in circumstance can impact a family.”

This past year, Paul took the idea a step further. He made flyers and stapled them to brown grocery bags, including a list of needed items, and dropped them off at the homes in their neighborhood. A week later, their 3- and 5-year-old helped pull the wagon down the block to collect the bags people set out.

“We were amazed at how many gave food,” said Lisa. “People thanked us for making it convenient for them to donate.”

There‟s no stopping them now. They are enlisting friends this year to cover a larger area so they can collect more. “We want our children to have an awareness of the need in our community, and to recognize how fortunate they are,” she added.