When Loaves and Fishes, the Powell food bank, first started in the mid 1980s, board member Cindy Balderas said the organizers were worried it wouldn’t be used or be part of the community. 

More than 40 years later, the organization is going strong. 

“We didn’t think that we were going to be a part of the community, and here we are so many years later, and there is a definite need for our organization and any type of food organization that anybody else in the community might offer to the people of our town,” she said, noting that 270 people used the pantry in June. “And our town … I can’t even tell you the generosity of this community.”

She said the latest major donation was made by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints local wards, which divvied up a tractor trailer full of donated food to area pantries. 

The process to acquire food has gotten more streamlined. Starting this month, Loaves and Fishes is no longer requiring people make an appointment before coming to pick up food. 

People can simply drop by the location at the annex 9-11 a.m. Monday-Friday. 

Balderas said the new system allows for more one-on-one time between volunteers and families coming to pick up food. 

“This way the clients can go in and the volunteers can have a more one-on-one personal contact with them and find out what their situation is and what kind of needs that they might possibly have,” she said. 

Balderas said it’s been a steady amount of people coming to pick up foods, and features people in a variety of situations. 

“We have steady customers, we have people that need help monthly because they just can’t make it,” she said. “We have circumstances where people are displaced from their home, or something happens, they could get a flood, they could have a fire, any type of situation like that, or they’ve lost their job, or just people that need general food assistance that need to come out and get food from the pantry.”

Balderas said the Loaves and Fishes volunteers help those who need assistance through “every step of the process.” 

“Our volunteers are a tremendous asset to our organization,” she said. 

Loaves and Fishes is also supported by the county, which provides them rent and utility free space at the annex in which to work. Balderas said that allows for more money for the organization to use to help people. That includes $25 vouchers for families to go to local supermarkets and purchase perishables such as milk, eggs and fresh bread (Balderas priced out the items to determine how much to provide), and an extra $10 to buy items such as deodorant, toilet paper and toothpaste. 

It’s all thanks to the support from the grocery stores, the county, the community and the volunteers. 

“We have tremendous volunteers and a good board, and we’ve been here for a while, so hopefully we’ll be here for a while more,” she said.