What is the Food To You Mobile Food Pantry?
Food To You Mobile Food Pantry is a way to get groceries and household items to those who need them on a weekly basis by distributing them in the neighborhoods after daytime work hours.
The Mobile Food Pantry is sponsored as a service in the Sioux Falls area by Charis Minisry Partners, a non-profit organization of thirteen local congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
What is the purpose of the Food To You Mobile Food Pantry?
- To provide a supplement to existing food assistance in the Sioux Falls area in order to decrease hunger and poverty through greater availability of food and household items.
- To assist the public in building caring relationships with neighbors served through this program.
- To express the Christian value of serving and working in respect and partnership with all parts of the community, both those served and those being served.
How does Food To You work?
The Mobile Food Pantry, with truck, driver, and supplies from the South Dakota Food Bank, will be on the go on Thursdays to offer a distribution of groceries and personal products from 6:00 – 7:00pm at the following sites:
- First Thursday – East Side Lutheran Church, 1300 East 10th Street
- Second Thursday – Messiah New Hope Lutheran Church, 5001 East Madison Street
- Third Thursday – Augustana Lutheran Church, 235 North Prairie
- Fourth Thursday – St. John Lutheran Church, 1912 West 13th Street
- Fifth Thursday – No Distributions offered at any site.
No Food Vouchers or proof of income will be required, but those using Food To You can access this service only once a month.
How can I get on board with Food To You?
VOLUNTEER GROUPS from organizations, churches, and businesses, or family and
friends are needed to sponsor and provide workers for each weekly food
distribution. Volunteers come early on the Thursday they are scheduled to help to be trained by the Food To
You Coordinator, set up the area, unload and arrange items, and interact with
clients as they conduct the distribution. Here is what is needed from each
group:
- About sixteen-twenty volunteers, including at least six who are able to lift and carry boxes, are to arrive at the site by 5:15pm at the latest. Some of the volunteers may be responsible youth who are in 6th grade or older. It would be helpful if two of the adult volunteers can arrive by 4:45pm. The distribution takes place from 6:00- 7:00pm with volunteers able to leave by 7:30pm.
- A donation of $200 from the volunteer group sponsoring each week’s distribution is requested to cover the expense of the food purchased from the SD Food Bank as well as the cost of the Food Bank truck and driver for that evening.
- A donation of a particular food item chosen by Food To You is requested for the distribution the group serves. Groups will be asked to collect and bring a large number of a single assigned item.
Items that will be distributed during the upcoming months are shown in the upper right column on this page and in the lower right column of this site's home page.
Any individual or group is welcome to collect and donate the Food of the Month.
These items need to be brought to East Side Lutheran Church or to the distribution site if prearranged with the Coordinator.
The month listed is the month the food will be distributed so it is best to collect items in advance of the month they are needed.
Watch the website for upcoming Food of the Month items and contact the Coordinator with questions.
At this time Food To You is unable to accept donations of any food items other than those chosen for each distribution.
No other food items can be accepted.
Please donate them to the Food Pantry.
Any individual or group is welcome to collect and assemble HYGIENE PACKS for Food to You
to offer to the clients at the weekly distributions.
A Hygiene Pack is to be made up in this way:
•
One large roll of toilet paper
•
One bar of soap
•
One bottle of shampoo OR one large tube of toothpaste
Place the three items in a clear gallon plastic bag and fasten securely with either a twist tie or ziplock.
Only three items to a bag please.
No loose items or packs made with different items can be accepted.
Drop off any time at East Side Lutheran Church or contact the Coordinator for assistance.
SUPPORTING DONATIONS are especially welcome as the Food To You Mobile Food Pantry starts up in the Spring of 2009. A great partnership with the South Dakota Food Bank and the other area organizations, services, and churches has enabled Charis Ministry Partners to begin this program to decrease hunger and increase caring in our community. A part-time Coordinator, Karen Soli, has started work in order to launch Food To You at this time of growing need. General financial donations to Charis Ministry Partners for Food To You are welcome to under gird this largely volunteer program and are fully tax deductible.