ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria General Store owner Brian Seymour and Bortell’s Lounge owner Steve Rose provided the Roser Food Pantry with a significant boost during this time of increased need.
On Thursday, April 2, Seymour and general store team members Tom Powers, Mason Jones and Kristen Karnok made a large delivery to the food pantry at 511 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria.
“Our initial order was $6,000-$7,000, but unfortunately about 20% of it did not come in this week. We will continue to reorder every week until we fulfill our commitment to the food pantry,” Seymour said as they unloaded the pickup truck and golf cart filled with non-perishable food.
“We bought everything from canned vegetables, soups, cereals, snacks, rice, beans, canned fruit, shelf-stable milk and much more. We tried to think of as many items as possible that would be shelf-stable and last the longest so those who need to utilize the food bank have food that lasts,” Seymour said.
“This idea to donate food to the Roser Food Pantry was the brainchild of Bortell’s Lounge owner Steve Rose and myself. We read the article in The Sun about the need here and how much Roser’s doing to for the local community, especially the workers out here who are out of work,” Seymour said.
“Steve wishes he could be here, but he was in Colorado when the stay in place order was given, so he’s still there,” Seymour said.
Seymour thanked Rose’s business operations manager Patty Prudente for her assistance.
“The Roser Food Pantry is a place on the Island that offers assistance to everybody, and if anybody can help the food pantry we encourage that too,” Seymour said.
Seymour said the food delivered was purchased from H.T. Hackney, the distributor that supplies his general store at 503 Pine Ave.
“I can buy it at wholesale cost, so if anyone wants to make monetary donations that money will go further if you donate to the store and we purchase goods. One hundred percent of the donations will go toward the food pantry,” Seymour said.
Those who want to assist with a personal check can make it out to the Anna Maria General Store and write Roser Food Pantry donation in the memo line.
“We’ll take cash too,” Seymour said.
Seymour said the Anna Maria General Store plans to remain open, even though business has slowed.
Appreciative chairman
Food pantry chairman Jack Brennan said he’s okay with the general store accepting financial contributions on the pantry’s behalf and he appreciates Seymour’s offer.
“It’s pretty nice what the community has done for the Roser Food Pantry. We had the money to purchase food, but we just couldn’t get the products. The Roser Food Pantry greatly appreciates the fact that Steve and Brian recognized our short-term situation and came to our aid,” Brennan said.
Brennan also thanked Anna Maria Commissioner Carol Carter and All Island Denominations for getting the word out that the food pantry was having trouble finding groceries due to the coronavirus situation. He also thanked those who’ve swung by the food pantry recently to drop off food or financial contributions.
Brennan said he recently went shopping for the food pantry and got several dirty looks from other shoppers who thought he was hoarding for himself.
“I didn’t want to do that again and that’s when Carol put out the memo that we needed help,” Brennan said.
He said he thought it was a memo from the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce that caught Rose’s eye and that inspired him to help.
Brennan said the food donated by Rose and Seymour would extend the food pantry’s ability to help others three to five weeks.
If you need food, call the Roser Memorial Community Church office at 941-778-0414 to schedule an appointment.
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