Food banks struggle, community supports
TOP: Grocery Outlet owner and Wallace Elks member Melinda Parks donated a truckload of food to the Wallace Food Bank with the help of "Sources of Strength" Wallace High School Students. BOTTOM: Shoshone Medical Center employees partnered with Kellogg High School to donate 800 items to local food banks.
Courtesy photos
KELLOGG — Hope and help are available to those in need.
As inflation causes costs to rise, many families across the United States struggle to make ends meet, and local food banks are working overtime to ensure those in need are cared for.
However, this can put food banks in a strained position.
A recent article in the Shoshone News-Press reported that in 2022 the Wallace Food Bank received less than half of what it had received in past years, yet is serving double the number of families now.
From the east to the west end, community organizations, hospitals, businesses and schools are stepping in to help ease the load the food banks bear.
To help the Wallace Food Bank, Wallace High School Elks Lodge No. 331, TEAM Wallace and Wallace High School banded with additional help from Wallace Elk’s member and Grocery Outlet owner Melinda Parks.
“We had a truckload delivered as part of the Elks food drive,” said Elks member Marcy Hayman. “There was another truckload picked up at the Elks by Mike Hoffman and another to be picked up.”
The Wallace Elks and TEAM Wallace also held a fundraiser on Facebook, with more than $4,603 raised to go directly to the Wallace Food Bank.
Other organizations on the east end, including Ski Wallace, have added extra bonuses to its events, like the popular Burlesque Show giving a VIP table to whoever brought the largest donation.
On the west end, Kellogg High School (KHS) and Shoshone Medical Center (SMC) joined forces, but not for the first time.
“We’ve worked together with Kellogg High School in past years, as well as doing our own drives,” said SMC’s Administrative Assistant, Susan Berry. “We heard from community members that the food banks were in real need of donations and reach out to KHS to see if they were doing their food drive again this year, which is how we got involved.”
The hospital donated just under 800 items, including various food and personal care items, toothbrushes, shampoos, and more.
“We held a contest where we grouped departments here at the hospital as well as at the Wellness Center in Smelterville into teams,” Berry said. “The winning team won an ice cream party that we’re holding this Thursday. Everyone here at SMC was excited to participate and help out our local community.”
Berry continued that SMC will be planning another food drive just before the holidays at the end of the year.
If you would like to donate to a food bank or need assistance, Shoshone County options are listed below:
Community Action Partnership
Address: 114 Riverside Ave. W., Kellogg
Phone: 208-783-4901
The community action and the food bank is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m.
Website: www.cap4action.org
Wallace Food Bank
Food is distributed on the third Thursday of each month from 3-5 p.m. at the Prayer Station (215 Fourth St.) in Wallace.
For more information, contact Michael Hoffman at 916-764-9252 or by email at wallacefoodbank@gmail.com.
Pinehurst Real Life
Real Life Ministries Silver Valley provides a food room to the community in the back of the thrift store.
Address: 109 N Division St Pinehurst, ID 83850
Phone: 208-682-4801
Open on Friday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Silver Valley Worship Center/Light the Way Food Bank
Address: 306 Main St., Smelterville
Phone: 208-783-8902
Open on Tuesday: 3-5 p.m.
2nd Harvest Mobile Market
Drive-through distribution, up to 250 families (or while supplies last)
Will be located at the Smelterville Walmart
583 Commerce Drive, Smelterville
April 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, visit www.2-harvest.org