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In this undated photo, employees and volunteers of Tabitha's Way Local Food Pantry stand together at the American Fork location. Tabitha's Way received $3,000 from the 2023 Select Health Awards on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, which will provide help 15,000 meals to local community families in need.

Courtesy Carolina Lindsay Photography

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Rob Hitchcock, Select Health president and CEO, left, stands next to Wendy Osborne, executive director of Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry, at the Utah Select Health Awards event on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Tabitha's Way received $3,000 from the award, which will help provide 15,000 meals to local community families in need.

Courtesy Carolina Lindsay Photography

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Lillian Kump, assistant operations manager for Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry in Spanish Fork, left, and Wendy Osborne, executive director of Tabitha’s Way, right, stand together for a picture at the Utah Select Health Awards event on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Tabitha's Way received $3,000 from the award, which will help provide 15,000 meals to local community families in need.

Courtesy Lillian Kump

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Out of more than 300 nonprofit organization applicants, Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry and nine other Utah organizations were bestowed 2023 Select Health Awards and were honored at an event on Oct. 3.

The awards come from the Select Health Awards program which started in 2008. Tabitha’s Way has two locations, a south pantry in Spanish Fork and a north pantry in American Fork.

Wendy Osborne, executive director of Tabitha’s Way, explained part of the reason the pantry was chosen for the award is because their mission aligns with the mission of Select Health. They applied for the grand, she said, because, “We found an immediate alignment with Select Health and their desire to really improve health for people in our community.”

A press release from Select Health states, “The awards are offered to organizations that are improving health and well-being, serving those with special needs and supporting the underserved.”

Ten nonprofits in the state each received $3,000 and a marketing package consisting of branded banners and a promotional video. The only other nonprofit in Utah County that received the award is the Venezuelan Alliance of Utah, which “Presents the needs of the Latino migrant community to the authorities and local government to find tangible solutions, while informing new arrivals of available resources,” the press release states.

The press release states, “Now in its fifteenth year, Select Health has donated more than $1 million dollars through the Select Health Awards to community organizations.”

Osborne said two factors contribute to the supply and demand of food pantries: first, that Utah’s population is rapidly growing, and second, the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with the supply chain, which created a shortage in certain items being available.

“Food pantries and food banks largely rely on the excess, the donation,” she said. “We pick up what would be food waste, but there’s less food waste because there’s less supply.”

According to Osborne, three of Tabitha’s Way’s largest food drives held throughout the year produced 50% fewer donations because not only have grocery stores and businesses been affected by the changing factors, but individual households that used to contribute no longer can.

“I’ve had no less than five individuals come to me personally and say, ‘Wendy, I used to donate to your organization. Not only can I no longer donate, but I’m also finding myself in need,'” she said. These different factors are contributing to a greater need paired with fewer resources and food sources being provided and donated, she added.

With the shortage in supply and the high demand, Osborne said the $3,000 received from Select Health will go toward supplying the pantry with food. “The $3,000 will provide 15,000 nutritious meals to our neighbors in need, which is huge,” she said.

The marketing video will allow Tabitha’s Way to expand its reach and bring awareness of the pantry to individuals who want to contribute and be involved. “We always say those who can, and want to, contribute. So by having this additional tool, (it) will help us create more brand recognition, more awareness, more collaboration and help us craft the argument of ‘we are present in our community, and here is how you can help,'” Osborne said.

Since Jan. 1, Tabtiha’s Way has served over 27,000 local families who are food insecure. The food pantry offers a grocery store setup for people in need, where they can choose to take whatever food they want. “We believe in serving individuals with dignity and respect, and we believe in client choice,” Osborne said, explaining why the pantry is designed this way.

The option to choose their own food paired with a focus on healthy food and providing resources to help those coming to the pantry are what makes Tabitha’s Way different from other food pantries, Osborne said.

When people come into the food pantry, the team there looks to identify and address the root cause of their food insecurity, whether it is the loss of a job, an injury or another reason. Tabitha’s Way will then guide them to resources in the community that can help them.

Tabitha’s Way focuses on nutrition by providing fresh foods such as produce, eggs, milk and cheese. “I always say, let’s not make sure they’re filled, let’s make sure that they’re fed. That implies nutrition,” Osborne said.