“Fresh apples and yogurt! That’s the food we want to be giving out,” he said. Overlooking the pantry’s storage area, staff member Mike Shea said when the MVFB truck backed up to the building the previous day, it brought tears to his eyes. Shaheen added it was important to her that the pantry be set up like a grocery store to provide clients with the “dignity of choice” many of them have gone years without. “They deserve to have their dreams fulfilled the same way we do.” “You can’t empower people until they believe in themselves,” said Lazarus House Executiv e Director Bridget Shaheen. The pantry, set up with shelves like a little grocery store, welcomes more than 1,100 families every Wednesday to “shop” for their groceries. MVFB Executive Director Amy Pessia and Warehouse Manager Tony Luna recently visited St Martha’s Food Pantry, operated by Lazarus House Ministries in Lawrence, one of the 122 agencies and feeding programs for which the MVFB provides food. Volunteers are constantly restocking the shelves. Lazarus House Food Coordinator Ken Campbell (left) with MVFB Warehouse Manager Tony Luna and MVFB Executive Director Amy Pessia. MVFB Executive Director Amy Pessia (Center) chats with volunteer “Toots” and Lazarus House Exec. MVFB Executive Director Amy Pessia with Mike Shea, a staff member at Lazarus House.