Helping Hands distributes food boxes

Stacks of food boxes sat lined up and ready Saturday, June 27, to be given out drive-thru style.

Helping Hands Community Foundation hosted the drive-thru outside their new office on 7th St., giving out 100 food boxes donated by USDA and Go Fresh to 100 people who had responded to the organizations Facebook post about the event.

The boxes contained fresh dairy and produce products. A U-Haul rental to transport the boxes was donated by Krista Lyons, and Skip and Tracy Smith.

“They’re saying they’re going to do it at least one more time,” Helping Hands Community Foundation director Sabra Denson said. “So we’ll have another round of at least 100 or more probably within the next couple of months.”

Denson said the food box events are being coordinated by Wellston United Methodist Church and Luther United Methodist Church pastor Patricia Johnson.

Additionally, Helping Hands plans to add another three more outdoor food pantries soon.

These food pantries will be similar to the one already located in Chandler outside Caldwell Heating & Air and in Stroud.

“They’re open to the community 24/7,” Denson said. “There’s no requirement. And then it’s also stocked by the community -- we stock it too -- but it’s just, there’s no requirements so whoever needs it, they can use it and the community gets that feeling that they get to give back too in that way, ‘cause they’re able to stock it anonymously.”

The new pantries will be located outside at the Senior Citizen Center in Davenport, Kristin Ludi’s Insurance Agency in Meeker and at the Dorothy M. Smith Family Medical Clinic in Carney. Denson said the new pantries will be set up by mid-July.

For more information, see the Helping Hands Community Foundation and Helping Hands Food Pantry Facebook pages.