Jan Gordon, who represents Tabitha’s Way food pantry, asked the Santaquin City Council on Dec. 2 to help meet growing local food needs and to recruit Spanish‑speaking volunteers for holiday distributions.

Gordon told the council that the pantry’s third‑quarter, city‑level figures showed 321 Santaquin households served in July through September, totaling 1,184 individuals, and that 194 new households had registered in October. She said the pantry distributed 650 complete Thanksgiving meals in November and plans to hand out about 600 Christmas meals, delivered via vouchers coordinated through school social workers and local church relief efforts.

“Our number of clients continues to rise,” Gordon said, urging council members to sign up to help with the drive‑through distribution and to promote the pantry’s Shop‑and‑Drop donation sites at local stores. She also requested volunteers fluent in Spanish to help with distributions that use vouchers and bilingual outreach.

Gordon described partnerships with school districts and faith‑based relief networks to identify families in need and said Shop‑and‑Drop donation bins are located at several grocery stores for year‑round collection of targeted items. She handed informational materials to city staff and invited council members to take part in distribution shifts.

The council did not take formal action during the public comment period but expressed appreciation for the pantry’s work and for the volunteer opportunities ahead. Gordon’s remarks underscored rising demand in Santaquin and provided immediate volunteer and donation steps for council members and residents who want to help.