Food bank closing, hopes of new one getting established

The Food Bank of the Gallatin Adventist Community Services Center will be closing sometime in the near future, with hopes that a new location can be found, and a new food bank established in order to continue to serve the community.
A series of unfortunate events have led to the closing of the food bank. Last year, the long-time director of the Daviess County Food Bank, Bill Reed, passed away. The current director, his wife, Karen Reed, 82, recently fractured two vertebrae in her back while moving items in the food bank. The food bank is a very labor-intensive enterprise, with boxes of heavy food being loaded and unloaded off trucks. The work is putting a strain on an aging group of volunteers.
The Food Bank needs to find a new home, volunteer crew, and administration.
“We will be talking to city representatives, county commissioners, and sending letters to churches and clubs that we hope can help,” Mrs. Reed says. “Even $50 a month donation would be a big help financially to a new food bank. The food bank has an account at BTC Bank in Gallatin, where individuals can make donations. The account will be transferred to the new food bank.”
Mrs. Reed is hoping that the county and city will band together to create a food bank. Ideally, the county, in conjunction with the city, churches, charitable organizations, and the ministerial alliance, will organize a board of directors to oversee the management and operation of the food bank.
If a new food bank can be established, the current food bank will donate its walk-in cooler and freezer, chest freezers, shelves, and miscellaneous equipment for the new operation.
The Gallatin Adventist Community Services Center will continue to support the new food bank beyond the donation of equipment. It will pay for the continued upkeep of a new website created for the food bank. Current volunteers are willing to assist in the organization and operation of the new food bank by passing on its books, outlining volunteer job descriptions, helping in the development of a new crew, and management of the distribution of food.
“The new food bank will need many volunteers for organizing and dating foods, driving to collect food, assisting clients in carrying food to their vehicles, and overseeing food distribution as well as doing the bookkeeping,” says Mrs. Reed. “The food bank has to do things according to the rules of Second Harvest and government rules regarding surplus food.”
“We would like people to realize how important the food bank is to the community,” says Kathy Pedroza. She is Mrs. Reed’s daughter and has been helping her the past month, since her injury.
Mrs. Pedroza notes that government commodities are delivered to the food bank by Second Harvest. Second Harvest Community Food Bank is a nonprofit food distribution center out of St. Joseph, which helps families, individuals and seniors across a 19-county region. The food bank collects food items, including fresh produce from Walmart. The food bank needs to pick it up, it is not delivered). Shelf-stable foods are donated by individuals, churches, boy scouts, and the post office. Deer meat comes through Share the Harvest. Northwestern Produce donates fresh vegetables.
Cyndi Jones reported on the food poundage provided by the food bank: 1,805 families/ 4,223 individuals were helped in 2019. Walmart and Second Harvest provided 39,818 pounds of food. Senior boxes provided 41,580 pounds of food to 80 people in Gallatin and 19 people in Pattonsburg. Together that’s 81,398 pounds yearly. This food poundage does not include the milk program or emergency food.
The Gallatin Adventist Community Services Center had its start more than 20 years ago. Within that original center was a very small emergency food bank, tucked into various nooks and hallways. The current Daviess County Food Bank grew from that little one. The current food bank was equipped with coolers, freezers, spacious accommodations, and a broad selection of food items. Over the years, the Gallatin Adventist Community Services Center enlarged its buildings, including areas dedicated to a food bank, amplified the foods, and began distributing government commodities.
The Community Services Center is the umbrella organization, supporting both a thrift shop and the food bank.
The thrift shop will continue. The new addition, Bill’s Barn at the front of the Thrift Store, was built utilizing the generous gifts donated in his honor.
The formal closing date of the food bank will be announced.