Postal food drive postponed, Loaves and Fishes seeking donations

Posted 4/21/20

Powell Valley Loaves and Fishes is continuing to distribute food during the COVID-19 pandemic, but one of its major food drives has been postponed.

Locally, postal workers typically collect about …

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Postal food drive postponed, Loaves and Fishes seeking donations

Posted

Powell Valley Loaves and Fishes is continuing to distribute food during the COVID-19 pandemic, but one of its major food drives has been postponed.

Locally, postal workers typically collect about 6,000 pounds of food as part of the national Stamp Out Hunger drive in May. However, the drive is now on hold.

“We look forward to holding the largest one-day food drive in America when it is safe to do so,” the National Association of Letter Carriers wrote in a Facebook post Friday.

In the meantime, Loaves and Fishes leaders hope the community will donate needed food items going into summer.

“The postal food drive gives us a big boost for the summer months, because we’re hit hardest during the summer,” said Cindy Balderas, treasurer of the nonprofit.

Usage often goes up in the summertime while donations dwindle, as people aren’t going to church as often or are out of town.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen this year,” Balderas said.

In lieu of the postal food drive, the Loaves and Fishes board has considered doing “pop-up” donation sites in church parking lots, where people can drop off food on certain days. If the board moves forward with that idea, dates and locations will be announced.

Usage has been steady at the local food pantry, with 87 families served in March and a total of 299 individuals; those numbers are comparable to recent months prior to the pandemic. Loaves and Fishes hasn’t seen a significant spike in demand like some places in America, said Julie Fulton, volunteer coordinator.

The Powell community’s continued support for Loaves and Fishes is appreciated, board members say.

“We’ve received some really lovely, lovely donations from the community,” Balderas said.

Last week, she also received a call from Jennie Gordon, first lady of Wyoming, who launched the Wyoming Hunger Initiative last year. Gordon thanked local volunteers for everything they’re doing and pledged a financial donation to Powell Valley Loaves and Fishes.

A day later in a separate call, former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson of Cody reached out to the Powell pantry, pledging a financial donation and offering to help in any way possible.

Financial contributions help Loaves and Fishes purchase fresh food, such as eggs, milk and bread, as well as items to stock the pantry’s shelves.

“The money is going to help us because once the grocery stores are back up and running full force, we’re going to end up having to buy groceries because of the food drive being canceled, and then everyone needs to provide for their own families,” Balderas said.

The nonprofit will probably end up having to shop a bit more than past years, she said.

“So the monetary donations are really going to be important to us,” Balderas said.

The pantry is also in need of nonperishable food, such as cereal, juice, pasta, rice, beans, peanut butter, tuna and canned goods (vegetables, fruits, soups, etc.). Donations can be taken to either Blair’s Super Market or Mr. D’s Food Center.

“The grocery stores both have been so diligent and so good about trying to get in whatever we order, because they’re also having a problem with supply and demand,” Balderas said. “They’re working really diligently to supply us with the things that we order.”

Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies has also been good about trying to keep the food supply coming, she said.

The food pantry is providing food during its normal hours: Monday through Friday from 9-11:30 a.m. Local residents in need are asked to call the Park County Annex (307-754-8800 or 307-754-8870) ahead of time. A volunteer will then bring food outside to be distributed, since the public isn’t allowed in the annex right now.

“We’re working really diligently to take food out to our clients’ cars and making sure that … we’re having as little contact as possible,” Balderas said.

Monetary donations can be mailed to Loaves and Fishes at P.O. Box 992, Powell, WY 82435.

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