CAM hosts ribbon cutting at new Forsyth location

A building, which is a staple in Forsyth, has a new life, new mission with a familiar set-up. 

The Save-A-Lot grocery store, which had provided a place to purchase food for the surrounding area for decades, closed earlier this year. At the same time Christian Action Ministries (CAM) needed a new bigger location for their food pantry. The solution became obvious. CAM would move its pantry operations into the old grocery store, located at 142 Main Street in Forsyth. The space allowed a CAM Thrift Shop to be open adjacent to the pantry. The thrift store helps to raise money for the organization's mission of fighting food insecurity in Taney and Stone County. 

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Opening of new CAM pantry (Photos by AJ Fahr)

CAM Executive Director Michele Dean said the building met the specific needs in a perfect way. “This location has been a part of the community for a long time. We have our own grocery store for our clients to come to. It displays the products we offer beautifully and allows a more shopping feel to the pantry,” Dean said. “Save-A-Lot served the community for decades. We now can utilize a familiar building to do the same, serve our neighbors.”

The new location, which Dean affectionately calls CAM-A-LOT, will continue the client choice food pantry model. This model allows clients to shop off the shelves just like they would at a grocery store. 

“It was sad to see a local grocery store go out of business. That is a telling of the demographic of our area. They were not able to financially keep their doors open, because people didn't have funds and just weren’t able to purchase food. That is where we step in,” Dean said. “We are able to come in and provide more robust assistance. It’s really going to make a difference. They can put food on their table and still keep their electricity on, or get shoes for their kids, or put gas in their car.”

Dean said the pantry’s mission is focused on making sure no one goes hungry. “We offer help so they don’t have to make a tough decision like not going to the doctor; not signing their kid up for that after school program; not being able to get prescriptions,” Dean said. “When we can take the worry of feeding a family off even for a while, they can say yes to those things. We want them to know they can and have help.”

During the ribbon cutting with the Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce, Forsyth Area Chamber of Commerce and the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, Dean explained that the location is still a grocery store for the area offering a grocery-style shopping. 

Attendees were invited to enjoy bar-b-que while taking a tour of the pantry and thrift store after the ribbon cutting. 

The thrift store will be open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The food pantry is open Tuesdays 3 to 6 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays 8:30 to 11 a.m. The only requirement to receive assistance is to bring a photo ID.