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Wendy Osborne loads bags of donations into a truck to be sorted with the help of family, friends and volunteers at Tabitha's Way, a thrift store and food pantry in Spanish Fork, on Dec. 3, 2014.

Grant Hindsley, Daily Herald file photo

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A pile of canned and jarred foods sit in a crate at Tabitha's Way Local Food Pantry in Spanish Fork in this undated photo.

Courtesy Tabitha's Way Food Pantry

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Volunteers sort food at Tabitha's Way Food Pantry in Spanish Fork in this undated photo.

Courtesy Tabitha's Way Food Pantry

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Volunteers fill a cart with groceries at Tabitha's Way Food Pantry in Spanish Fork in this undated photo.

Courtesy Tabitha's Way Food Pantry

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As the calendar turns to the new year, donations typically slow for food pantries and other nonprofit organizations. Last week, Tabitha’s Way Food Pantry in Spanish Fork launched a new campaign dedicated to fighting food insecurity in Utah County — “The Hamilton Challenge.”

Named for Alexander Hamilton, the founding father featured on the $10 bill, people are asked to donate the sum, which represents 50 nutritious meals to neighbors in need. Committing to the challenge for one year, with a monthly donation, would provide 600 meals.

“Food insecurity is not only reserved for the impoverished,” said Wendy Osborne, Tabitha’s Way’s founder and executive director. “It has no socioeconomic boundaries. It can impact the working class, seniors, or anyone facing a crisis.”

The Spanish Fork location has a goal of reaching 1,000 donors who will commit to taking the Hamilton challenge. The challenge will stay open until the goal is reached.

One proponent of the challenge — and Tabitha’s Way in general — is Spanish Fork Mayor Mike Mendenhall.

“For a long time, the Mendenhall’s have been helping stock our pantry, and just learning about and teaching their young children what’s going on in their community and the needs (people have). Years ago, he told his family that ‘a Hamilton helps a ton,'” Osborne said. “So he got his kids, nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters all to come and donate $10, plus food and other things. I always thought that was a really impactful statement, helping people realize that $10 can mean a lot.”

Due to nationwide price increases impacting food, transportation and housing, the number of middle class households that are dealing with food insecurity, especially in Utah County, has increased. Tabitha’s Way’s two locations, in Spanish Fork and American Fork, saw a combined 53% increase in families coming to the pantry for assistance in 2022.

In June 2010, Wendy and Jody Osborne founded Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry in Spanish Fork. They partnered with Mike Carter and Al Switzler and started Tabitha’s Way’s North location in American Fork in July 2016.

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