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Aug 18, 2023

Highland Food Pantry's plastic collections lead to Trex bench donation

Reporter By recycling 500 pounds of clean plastic, such as the kind that secures items on a shipping pallet, the Highland Food Pantry at Highland Memorial Presbyterian Church in Winchester was able to

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By recycling 500 pounds of clean plastic, such as the kind that secures items on a shipping pallet, the Highland Food Pantry at Highland Memorial Presbyterian Church in Winchester was able to obtain a new bench from Trex Co Inc. at no charge. The new bench will afford people a place to sit on food distribution days. Testing out the new bench is Genny Callis, executive director of the Highland Food Pantry. Shown behind the bench are volunteer Moira Dewilde (from left), volunteer Gary Braswell, who transported the collected plastic to Trex, volunteer Sandy Galletta, volunteer Ray Leonard, Trex materials and recycling program manager Stephanie Hicks, volunteer Larry Gale, Highland Food Pantry board member Vicki Laird, Highland Food Pantry food coordinator Ben Yonkofski, volunteer Nelson Gustin and volunteer George Magurn.

WINCHESTER — Few people work harder than the dedicated volunteers at Highland Food Pantry, and now they finally have a place to rest their weary bones.

Composite lumber manufacturer Trex Co. Inc. of Winchester recently donated a bench to the nonprofit that distributes free food to those in need from the basement of Highland Memorial Presbyterian Church at 446 Highland Ave. in Winchester.

The free bench was a reward for Highland Food Pantry donating 500 pounds of plastic to Trex, which recycles plastic bags, wraps and containers to manufacture its wood-alternative decking and furniture products.

“It took about five-and-a-half months [to collect the plastic],” said pantry volunteer Gary Braswell, who made regular deliveries to a Trex collection bin located behind NW Works Inc. at 3085 Shawnee Drive.

Trex, which has manufacturing facilities in Winchester and Fernley, Nevada, has an outreach program that, until now, awarded a free bench to qualified nonprofits, schools, community service agencies and more after they collected 500 pounds of plastic and donated it to the company.

The reason the program is being discussed in the past tense is because it changed on Monday. Stephanie Hicks, materials and recycling programs manager for Trex in Winchester, said qualified recipients now have to collect 1,000 pounds of plastic within a one-year period before getting a bench.

The reason for the change is due to the popularity of the program. Since it began, Hicks said Trex has donated nearly 2,000 benches across the country.

“Two thousand benches is expensive,” she said, noting each one retails for about $400. “The only state we haven’t awarded is Hawaii, and that’s just because they’re logistically too far away to participate.”

The new criteria, Hicks said, aims to slow down the number of benches being given away per year while still serving as encouragement for organizations to recycle plastic.

“It is really an incentive program,” she said. “We want to incentivize people to do the right thing and recycle their plastic films. ... It educates the community to let them know they can recycle more than just plastic bags. There are bread bags, paper towel overwrap, tissue overwrap, bubble wrap — those kind of stretchy films can go into the bins for recycling.”

In addition to NW Works, collection bins for plastic that can be recycled by Trex are located at all Martin’s food stores in the Winchester area.

The bench donation doesn’t mean the relationship between Trex and Highland Food Pantry has concluded. The company has signed on to be a major sponsor of the nonprofit’s upcoming Men on a Mission, which is the pantry’s only fundraiser of the year.

Vicki Laird, who serves on the board of directors for Highland Food Pantry, said the event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at First Presbyterian Church, located on the south end of the Loudoun Street Mall in downtown Winchester.

“Tickets will go on sale Sept. 1st, which is Friday,” Laird said. “You can buy tickets from the church (First Presbyterian) on Loudoun Street, from any [Highland Food Pantry] board member, and here at the pantry on Mondays and Tuesdays when we’re here.”

Tickets cost $30 each and entitle attendees to sample a wide variety of food prepared by approximately three dozen local men who volunteer to showcase their culinary skills.

“It’s a fun evening with great food,” Highland Food Pantry Executive Director Jenny Callis said on Monday.

“Our theme is Celebrating Hometown Heroes,” Laird said. “It’s important to note that 100% of the ticket money goes to buy food here for the pantry. If we sell all 300 tickets, then all $9,000 goes into that line item.”

In 2021, Highland Food Pantry distributed 2.1 million pounds of donated food worth an estimated $5 million to area residents facing financial hardships.

At the Men on a Mission event, participants will be able to visit every amateur chef’s table and sample their delicacies.

“Last year we had 37 chefs and I’m hoping the get the same number this year,” Laird said. “Anybody that wants to be a chef, the information is on the website (highlandpantrywinc.org).”

Prizes will be awarded to chefs in several categories — desserts, appetizers, main entrees, sides, best dressed and best decorated table — with the winners determined by how much money they raise in their tip jars. The tips then benefit the pantry.

“Whoever collects the most money will be considered the People’s Choice,” Laird said. “The more money you put in somebody’s jar, the better chance they have of winning the prize. We don’t know what that will be yet, but it’s normally a very nice prize.”

Men on a Mission will also feature a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction.

“Last year, that was a big hit,” Laird said of the auction. “We had a huge amount of really nice baskets put together. People loved that.”

If you or your company would like to donate items to Men on a Mission’s silent auction, call 540-533-0347 or email [email protected].

— Contact Brian Brehm at [email protected]

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