Spring is definitely in the air, but the economic picture for many is not so rosy. According to Hunger in Idaho 2010, a landmark study released by the Idaho Foodbank this month, 34% of Idahoans choose between paying their rent or mortgage and paying for food. Blaine County is no exception. As with the rest of Idaho, and the rest of the nation, many are facing critical decisions on a daily basis. Do you buy groceries or pay the electric bill? Which is more important, the car payment or the health insurance? Difficult choices for difficult times.
Considering this, who has anything leftover to donate? This is the serious dilemma facing The Hunger Coalition today. Numbers are steady and the demand for help is constant, but donations are down. They are in need of food and cash donations to keep their operation running. Owing to partnerships with statewide agencies, The Hunger Coalition can leverage their purchasing power.
Every $10 cash donation can be turned into $100 worth of food thanks to these partnerships. As a major provider of food assistance to the hungry in Blaine County, The Hunger Coalition relies on donations of cash and food to feed up to 350 families every month. Last year, the community stepped up to the plate. From individuals sending in a $25 check to generous gifts from foundations like the Deer Creek Fund, Wood River Women’s Charitable Foundation and others, they relied on the generosity of many to purchase food, gas up the Mobile Food Van, and distribute more than 155,000 meals in 2009.
Unfortunately, these days donations in the form of non-perishable food items and individual cash contributions are not keeping pace with the basic demand for food assistance. For a non-profit organization that has kept pace with staggering growth rates of near 3500% from 2006 - 2009, the lack of incoming support is potentially catastrophic.
The Hunger Coalition provides a solution, an alternative, to hundreds of people on a weekly basis. Often the lines at the Mobile Food Bank are long. More than 150 volunteers throughout the year ensure everyone has fresh, healthy items that the members of their family will enjoy eating. Most food pantries in the US operate differently. The mobility of The Hunger Coalition’s food distribution system has garnered statewide recognition for the 6 year old agency.
Dedicated volunteers pick up donations of fresh food daily from local grocers, increasing the nutritional value and variety of the foods available for distribution. Creating solutions, seizing opportunity and reaching out for support are essential to the growth of any non-profit. Innovation, partnerships, a dedicated group of volunteers and donors are what make it possible for The Hunger Coalition’s small staff to feed hundreds of our community members.
Without money and food, there won’t be anything to distribute. And this is the real concern for the hungry throughout our community. Is there something you can do to help? Cash donations can be mailed directly to The Hunger Coalition at 121 Honeysuckle Street, Bellevue, ID 83313 and online donations are accepted through their website: www.thehungercoalition.org. Here you will also find a list of local Food Drives, where non-perishable food donations are collected in bright yellow Food Donations bins, and information about what items are needed most desperately. Atkinsons’ Markets also carries $5 Stop Hunger Cards at check-out stands in each of their Ketchum, Hailey, and Bellevue locations. Working together as a community, The Hunger Coalition is counting on each one of us to get involved and make a difference for the well being of our residents and our community as a whole.
Founded in 2003, the Blaine County Hunger Coalition strives to end hunger in our community by providing wholesome food to those in need and by promoting solutions to the underlying causes of hunger through collaboration, education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.thehungercoalition.org or call 788-0121.
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