Great Plains Food Bank coordinating
food and cleaning supplies collection
for Minot flood victims

The Great Plains Food Bank, a program of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, will serve as the collection and distribution center for people interested in donating nonperishable food, personal care and cleaning supplies to help citizens of Minot and the surrounding region affected by recent flooding.

These products will be used by the Great Plains Food Bank on three flood - related fronts: providing assistance to those seeking help at shelters and mobile feeding units, during clean-up effort, and at food pantries and other charitable feeding programs that are expected to see increased demand due to the financial hardships experienced because of record breaking flood waters.

Starting June 23, individuals, families, businesses or churches wanting to assist are invited to drop off donations at the Great Plains Food Bank statewide distribution center. These items will be then be sorted and prepared for distribution to the Minot region. The first truckload of snacks, shelf-stable meals and items for mass feeding is scheduled to arrive in Minot the morning of June 24 and will feed those receiving immediate support at shelters and through mobile feeding units.

“Whether it’s a few items or a few pallets, we know how passionately the Fargo-Moorhead area responds to crisis,” says Steve Sellent, program director for the Great Plains Food Bank. “With the severity of this disaster, we know that a tremendous amount of resources will be needed in the Minot region in the days and weeks ahead. We want to offer our trucking, warehousing and distribution capabilities to make this community wide effort possible.”

The Great Plains Food Bank estimates that 15 or more semi-loads will be distributed to the Minot region, made possible through donations from Feeding America - the nation’s food bank network, other food banks in the region, food industry donors, and items collected from the community.

Once the immediate needs faced by citizens of the Minot region are met, the Great Plains Food Bank will work with Lutheran Disaster Response, another program of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, to secure and distribute the supplies necessary in the clean-up effort.

COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE DROP OFF DETAILS:

Where: Great Plains Food Bank 1720 3rd Ave. N, Fargo 701-232-6219

WHEN: During regular business hours 8 am to 5 pm

WHAT: Assorted non-perishable food items, personal care and cleaning supplies, including:

• Shelf-stable microwavable entrees
• Soups, stews, chili
• Rice, instant potatoes
• Boxed meals
• Peanut butter, cereal, breakfast bars
• Tomato based products (i.e. spaghetti and BBQ sauce)
• Canned meat products
• Canned fruits and vegetables

To volunteer with the effort, call the Great Plains Food Bank at -701- 232-6219.