Monthly food giveaway fills need

The Idaho Foodbank ramped up its community food distribution events in 2020 in order to meet a growing need among Latah County residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two years later, that need remains and the nonprofit continues to load dozens of cars with free donated food once a month in Moscow.

These cars have been showing up consistently, said Elizabeth Prasil during the monthly food distribution Monday at the Latah County Fairgrounds in Moscow.

“It really doesn’t depend on the weather and month or anything,” she said. “I mean, the need is there.”

Prasil, who serves on the board of the Moscow and Latah County United Way, said the demographics of people who show up to these monthly events range from children to seniors. Some people arrive to pick up food for their family, friends or neighbors.

“Every month, we have people who haven’t been here before,” she said.

A long line of cars waited their turn for volunteers to load up their trunks with boxes of food. Mike Wigen, manager of the Idaho Foodbank’s North Central Branch, was on-site to help out.

He said the nonprofit brings enough food for about 150 families a month on the fourth Monday. They brought more food last month in anticipation of the holidays and 201 families came through during that event, he said.

“All the people going through the distribution are usually real polite, real cautious,” he said. “Everything is safe.”

Wigen said the Idaho Foodbank had been organizing mobile distribution pantries for a decade in rural cities that do not have a brick-and-mortar foodbank. When the pandemic began, the nonprofit knew it had to buy more food and reach more people who may be struggling because of unemployment, inflation or other issues.

“We have seen that need increase,” he said.

With the help of grants from the state of Idaho, it has been operating large-scale food distribution events in Moscow, Lewiston and Grangeville. It is involved in a similar mobile food distribution event that occurs the first Wednesday of every month at the University of Idaho.

The United Way organizes the volunteers, which Prasil said often includes UI students.

Wigen encourages people to donate to the Idaho Foodbank as well as their local food pantries, which partner with Idaho Foodbank, to help those who need their services.

“People in Idaho are very gracious to donate,” he said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.