Walking through the Cedar Key Food Pantry leaves one aghast and delighted. The Healthy Levy Program is alive, well, and fully operational at the Cedar Key First United Methodist Church on State Road 24 and Third Street.

“Healthy Levy” is an effort to help Levy residents make the right health choices and, resultantly, live healthier, stronger, and longer lives. Initiated with county-level cooperation, Cedar Key Vice Mayor Sue Colson has taken the Healthy Levy effort to heart while affecting everything she and her fellows orchestrate at the Food Pantry. Co-worker Cindy Turner says, “This is the Healthiest Levy and Cedar Key ever!”

Pantry co-worker Alex Bletcher distributed much of the fare, as did Turner. Fresh Fruit, including bananas, strawberries, oranges, are lush and plentiful. Fresh vegetables are many: zucchini, mushrooms, Brussel sprouts. Dairy products, including milk, yogurt, cheeses, eggs, are abundant. Meats, including, chicken, and ground turkey, offer healthy substitutes. Staples, such as spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, beans, peas, bread, and cereal, round out choices.

Most importantly at Thanksgiving time, every family received a turkey. Pantry co-workers Marie and David Lewis helped distribute them. When the Pantry had distributed all its turkeys to clients, Russ Colson drove off to Chiefland to gather enough additional turkeys to satisfy the remaining clientele. With Colson’s encouragement and true Thanksgiving grace, Chiefland’s Walmart management sold its turkeys to the Pantry at cost.

Supplementing the grocery feast, and mindful of wasting not a morsel, an “EZ Turkey Soup” recipe, complete with small-package freezing instructions, was included in each client’s grocery bag.

Colson lauds the Cedar Key Food Pantry workers. “Many quiet, generous individuals give their time to the Pantry. We could not do this without the Methodist Church and people such as receptionist Barbara Turner. This truly is a community effort.”

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