Pioneer Village and Food Bank team-up for more nutritious meals and recipes
Receiving food bank items recently at Pioneer Village were Beverly, in white, Sally, in red and Mildred. Other residents wait their turn as the line extends into the hall. Behind the tables are volunteer David Hall, left, and Pioneer Village Community Manager Sheri Reynolds, right. Courtesy photo by Hugh
The Moses Lake Food Bank is well organized and well stocked. The staff and volunteers supply food for...well the numbers are rather interesting and perhaps shocking.
During a recent week the local food bank served 897 households, which equaled 2,668 people.
My research has shown there are many households in need of the food offered, but some shy away from participating. Other households have two working adults and neither is able to take time off work to go to the food bank, although this family could use the food bank assistance.
This is where others, those of us who have the time, are able to help those who can't get to the food bank for whatever reason. My example: There are four households under my umbrella. Each week I go to the food bank and pick up food items for these households. The food is delivered the same day.
Two of my deliveries are at Pioneer Village. One day I stopped by Manager Sheri Reynolds' office with a suggestion. There are sure to be people living in the building who could use the food bank services, but are unable to go to the food bank. Why not pick up food for the people at Pioneer Village and then have them receive the food items in the Common Room of the building.
The suggestion has developed in this well oiled event every week: Charly Stanz, a volunteer and the person responsible for the bread pickup at various retail outlets for the food bank, oversees the preparation of the Pioneer Village allocation. This allotment is equal to enough food items for 70 households.
June Smithee, a volunteer and resident of Pioneer Village, drives her van to the food bank every Tuesday. Food bank volunteers load the van with food items and June drives back to Pioneer Village. When the service June was providing to the residents of Pioneer Village was explained to the Moses Lake Morning Rotary, they donated $104 for gas, amounting to $2 a week for 52 weeks.
Others involved in this food distribution include Peny Archer, food bank operations manager; Scott Kilpatrick, food bank financial manager; Theresa Lembcke, food bank bookkeeper and general assistant, in addition to Charly.
At Pioneer Village the main players include Sheri Reynolds, community manager and Regina Hovgaard, administrative assistant, in addition to June.
Residents assemble in the Common Room where the food items have been placed on two tables. The residents form a line, check in with June and then move through the line to receive their food. Volunteers behind the tables hand out the items.
Residents take the items they receive to their rooms. The mission of providing the opportunity for a more nutritional diet has been accomplished. But there is more to this story.
The food bank is always in need of recipes for the items they hand out to clients. A month ago I challenged the residents to prepare a recipe using two items received from the food bank and using one item distributed the day before the Food Bank Challenge.
The secret item this month was dehydrated refried beans. Stay tuned for the results of the first Food Bank Challenge in this column next week.