By Mike Bush
St. Louis (KSDK) - Six years ago, Jane Bickham had an idea to help feed our area's hungry.
It started in her garage with a few volunteers and a couple of canned goods, but has grown into feeding more than 3,000 per month in St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln and Pike counties.
Bickham's dedication and passion is why she's earned our Making a Difference gold medal.
Welcome to the Caring and Sharing Food Pantry.
Bickham and her volunteers help feed anyone who is hungry, from families to war veterans. She even puts together blessing backpacks for the homeless.
This food pantry is the only 24 hour emergency food pantry in St. Charles County.
She says the people she serves motivate her.
"It makes me feel so good when I see kids pick up a box of cereal because they hadn't eaten in two days, and they start eating cereal. It's just, it's amazing. That's why I work so hard at this. It's for helping others. Just to be there for them, and I think that's my ministry and what I'm supposed to be doing," said Bickham.
Caring and Sharing also collects school supplies, adopts families during the holidays, and provides food to cancer patients. Bickham is a seven year breast cancer survivor.
"This is so very exciting that the word about our pantry gets out throughout the community now," she said.
Bickham hopes one day that Caring and Sharing has its own building to help even more people.
They are always looking for volunteers and donations.
KSDK