Mobile food pantry set for Saturday - Grand Island Independent

Mobile food pantry set for Saturday - Grand Island Independent

A mobile food pantry in Grand Island will be Saturday in the garage at the city Utilities Department building at 315 N. Jefferson St.

The food giveaway is sponsored monthly by the Food Bank for the Heartland and Trinity United Methodist Church’s Loaves and Fishes ministry. The mobile pantry will begin at 9:30 a.m. and numbers will be handed out starting at 8:15. Clients should not arrive on site before 8 a.m.

A mobile pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food free of charge directly to individuals and families who need assistance for a one-day food distribution. The goal is to provide food where there is a high need but limited resources. Items to be distributed at the mobile pantry in Hall County include spaghetti, tomato sauce, canned pork and beans, cereal, pancake mix and other shelf-stable products along with perishable items, including a variety of fresh produce and bakery items.

Approximately 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of food, the equivalent of 20,800 to 25,000 meals, will be distributed to individuals and families living in Hall County and surrounding communities who are food insecure.

Those who come to the mobile pantry are encouraged to bring boxes or bags to assist in carrying the food they receive. No identification is required to receive food.

“This is one of the largest monthly mobile pantries hosted in the Food Bank’s 93-county service area. In December, this mobile pantry served 402 families,” said Susan Ogborn, president and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland. “We appreciate the City of Grand Island collaborating with us to establish a permanent location for this mobile pantry and the support of the dedicated volunteers from Trinity United Methodist Church.”

Results of a study supported by the Conagra Brands Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the Nielsen Company show approximately 10.5 percent, or 6,380 people, in Hall County are at-risk for hunger. That includes 3,140 children.

The Food Bank is continuing to work with the city of Grand Island to establish a permanent location for the monthly mobile pantry. The next food giveaway in Hall County will be on Feb. 10. The location has yet to be determined.