Truck with free food coming to town

A 24-foot refrigerated truck with free produce and other perishable food items from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 23, will be at Trinity Lutheran Church on Cody Street in Bonners Ferry

Anyone in need, no matter what his or her income, is eligible for the food, said Stan Galloway, vice-president for Bonner/Boundary Thrivent Chapter and a member of Trinity Lutheran.

“We just want to give it to anyone who could use any extra food,” Gallowa said. “Last year we used the entire truck.”

“We’ve only done it once before, last year,” he continued. “It was very positive and served quite a few households.”

The local Thrivent chapter hopes to bring the truck to Boundary County three times a year. A second giveaway is planned for July 23 and another is tentatively planned for October, Galloway said.

Some boxes will be available, but if people can bring grocery bags, that would help, he said.

Items from last year’s giveaway included potatoes, onions, lettuce and mushrooms. During a recent delivery to Sandpoint, items included apples, Tater Tots and more.

“It just depends on what Second Harvest gets in donations,” Galloway said.

The Thrivent Homegrown Help Truck is collaboration between Second Harvest Inland Northwest and Northern Rocky Mountain Region of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to get produce to underserved communities in a timely manner. A farmer’s market set-up will be used to distribute produce from the truck, which holds up to 10,000 pounds of food.

Nearly 197,000 Inland Northwest residents receive emergency food assistance one or more times each year from Second Harvest’s network. Many families have to make choices between food and everyday necessities such as utilities, rent, medical bills or food.

In addition, nearly 80 percent of client households report income below the federal poverty level, and 44 percent of emergency food clients are children age 18 years old or under.