Mobile Pantry feeds 551 people, 184 households - McCook Daily Gazette

Mobile Pantry feeds 551 people, 184 households - McCook Daily Gazette

Dave Lytle uses Klein's Motor Electric's skid loader to unload the "Mobile Pantry" truck that pulled into McCook from the Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha Saturday morning. The Mobile Pantry truck delivered 16,000 pounds of food, providing about $75 of food per household -- taters and turnips and tea rolls just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. The next Mobile Pantry is Saturday, Dec. 10, in Culbertson.

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Mobile Pantry in McCook on Saturday, Nov. 19, provided 16,000 pounds of food to 184 households (551 people), to two community projects and to one local food Pantry.

JoLyn Hare of Culbertson and Barb Ostrum of McCook, local coordinators of Mobile Pantrys in Southwest Nebraska, said the cold, blustery weather and the late-morning start of a televised Nebraska Cornhusker football game may have affected turnout somewhat; they agreed they had hoped to help more families. The first McCook Mobile, in June, served 751 people, 270 families, distributing 15,000 pounds of food.

But no food went to waste Saturday. Winter produce -- potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, turnips -- remaining after families made their selections was donated to the community meal prepared at Evangelical Free Church on Thanksgiving Day, and to the community suppers provided at Memorial United Methodist Church once a week. Some nonperishable canned foods were delivered to the Hitchcock County Pantry, of which JoLyn and Barb are board members.

Josiah, left, and Titus Donelan push a cart of apples inside for later distribution.
(Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette)

The McCook Mobile Pantry on Saturday, at Evangelical Free Church, was the 10th Mobile Pantry in Southwest Nebraska since August of 2015. According to JoLyn's figures, Mobile Pantries in Culbertson, Trenton, Stratton (2), Hayes Center, Benkelman, Curtis, McCook (2) and Palisade have helped 1,164 households -- 3,285 individuals.

The Mobile Pantry program of the "Food Bank for the Heartland," located in Omaha, was created to provide food where there is a high need but limited resources. Food Bank for the Heartland works with a nonprofit agency (such as the Hitchcock County Pantry) to schedule a Mobile Pantry.

The foods for the Mobile Pantries come from the Food Bank for the Heartland warehouses in Omaha, and include fresh breads, buns, desserts and baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereals and pancake mixes, as well as non-perishable canned and boxed foods.

JoLyn emphasized that foods coming from the Food Bank in Omaha do not affect or reduce the amount of foods available to community/county Pantries that get their groceries at the Mid-Nebraska Food Bank in Kearney.

There are no income restrictions for those shopping at the Mobile Pantries in Southwest Nebraska communities; the only condition is that participants must be Nebraska residents.

Participants at each Pantry distribution MUST bring their own boxes, laundry baskets, small folding wheeled shopping carts or little red wagons (clean wheels only), as boxes ARE NOT available at the site. The elderly and handicapped should not shop alone, as the boxes get heavy.

Shoppers are also asked not to wait until the last minute because each 2-hour-long Mobile Pantry distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis. When the food's gone, it's gone.

JoLyn said that she and Barb had 38 volunteers sign in at the McCook Mobile Saturday, to help unload the truck, move pallets into the church, stock the tables with food items and guide shoppers through the lines. There were high school kids to help as "box boys." Klein's Motor Electric in McCook provided the skid loader and its operator.

"We could not do these Mobile Pantries without volunteers," JoLyn said.

The next Mobile Pantry in Southwest Nebraska is Saturday, Dec. 10, in Culbertson, from 10 a.m. until noon. The location will be announced later.

Mobile Pantries in Southwest Nebraska in 2017 will follow this schedule, all on Saturdays, from 10 a.m until noon: March 18, Trenton; April 22, Hayes Center; June 24, McCook; July 22, Palisade; Oct. 14, Stratton; Nov. 11, McCook; and Dec. 9, Culbertson.

There will also be Mobile Pantries in Benkelman and Curtis; those times and locations will be released later.

Food Bank for the Heartland provided these recipes for the turnips and potatoes and onions delivered to the Mobile Pantry in McCook Saturday:

NANA'S MASHED TURNIP AND POTATOES

1 large turnip, peeled and cubed

3 large white potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup milk

3 T. unsalted butter

1 tsp. white sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Placed turnip and potato cubes in a large pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook 25-30 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat and drain.

Mix milk, 2 T. butter and sugar with the turnip and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Mash until slightly lumpy.

Transfer mixture to a small baking dish. Dot with remaining butter. Cover loosely and bake 15 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for 8 minutes until lightly browned.

QUICK POTATO

CORN CHOWDER

1 medium onion, chopped

1 T. olive oil

2 14 1/2-oz. cans chicken broth

3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 15-oz. can corn, drained

1 cup milk

s/p

1/3 cup flour

In a large saucepan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until tender. Add broth and potatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Stir in the corn, 1/2 cup of the milk and the salt/pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of milk until smooth. Stir it into the soup.

Return to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened.