Plains Community Food Bank receives a new look
Volunteer Rhonda Leepe helps paint the Plains Community Food Bank. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Volunteer painter Neva Thompson helps out at the Plains Community Food Bank. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Plains Community Food Bank Director Carl Shaver helps paint the food bank. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Volunteer painters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and The Church on the Move arrived last Friday with paint brushes in hand to give the Plains Community Food Bank a new and brighter look.
Friday’s volunteers were Neva Thompson, Rhonda Leeper, Sharon Shaver, Blakely Lakko, Karlee Huffman, Annika Ercanbrack and Emory Ercanbrack. Painting the walls was the goal of the day, with the ceiling painting scheduled for later next week. Once the painting is complete, LED lightbulbs will be installed thanks to donations from Mayor Chris Allen and the town of Plains.
The Plains Community Food Bank has been supporting the community since 1997, and receives its funding through grants, individual donations and yearly contributions from The Town Pump Corporation and the local Lutheran Church.
Newly appointed food bank director Carl Shaver said eight volunteers on any given Tuesday help out with the distribution of food to the public. They are open every Tuesday from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m., and are located at 302 Central Ave. in Plains.
Shaver said that he wanted to brighten up the store and make it more user friendly. He envisions the store to be more like the typical grocery store, with customers using shopping carts to pick out items that they would normally use. The amount of food available to each customer is based on the size of the family and their financial position.
The food bank is required by state laws to ask each customer their income and family size. He also said that, “we don’t want to embarrass anyone, but to make them feel welcomed during their visit.”
Shaver commented that the first of the month is very busy with around 50 families receiving help from the food bank and that he sees this as a huge blessing to have the resources to help those that need our help.
The food bank services Sanders County with most customers being from Paradise and Plains, with some as far away as St. Regis.
Senior citizens account for around 40% of the five hundred people seeking help each month.
Shaver said that the Plains Food Bank purchases their inventory from several organizations, including the Missoula Food Bank, The VA Food Bank in Kalispell, and McGowan’s in Plains. McGowan’s sells to the Food Bank all their items at cost.
The Food Bank is always looking for additional volunteers.
