March 26 – In the wake of COVID-19 and an awareness of an increased need for food, North Country Food Bank has announced it is ramping up to expand critical services.
In a news release to media, North Country Food Bank issued the following statement: “The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged all of us in unprecedented ways, leaving most of us unsettled and fearful about what the future may hold. To all those in our community who are worried about food scarcity in your household during this pandemic, we are here for you as your hunger-relief organization in northwest and west central Minnesota. We want to say clearly that you are not alone.
“As a frontline organization providing food and non-food items to our most vulnerable neighbors through our agency partners, North Country is ramping up to expand critical services. More than ever, we are committed to our mission in our 21-county service area in northwest and west central Minnesota and Grand Forks, North Dakota. And, although we are trying to maintain a “business as usual” approach, we have developed revised procedures and an operational contingency plan to address the current situation.
“North Country and its partners in northwest and west central Minnesota —food shelves, meal programs and other nonprofits—are accelerating our efforts to fill every cupboard. We are resolute, certain in the knowledge that access to food is the lynchpin of any crisis response, especially one in which we’ve asked people to stay home, minimize interaction and take especially good care of themselves. In response to calls for help that increased by more than 50 percent last week (and are on track to at least double this upcoming week) we have provided tens of thousands of meals since the crisis began. And, we are prepared to deliver much more in the days and weeks to come.
“The increase in need has many causes. Restaurants, businesses and schools are shuttered, and pandemic-related layoffs have surged. Prior to the pandemic, 1 in 11 Minnesota households struggled to put enough food on their tables. In the current environment, that number has undoubtedly increased dramatically.
“Our message to the community is simple; we have food available, and more is on the way. We are united and working around the clock to serve northwest and west central Minnesota and Grand Forks, North Dakota. We are coordinating our efforts with our partners across the region.
“If you are in need of food support, please visit www.northcountryfoodbank.org or www.hungersolutions.org/find-help. If you have children, contact the school district in which you live to find out what nutrition resources are available during this time. Most school districts will not require enrollment of your child in the district in order to receive assistance. Help is available to all children who reside within a district’s boundaries.
“Our region’s greatest asset is our ability to work together to solve problems in our communities. We will get through this pandemic together. We are here for you.”
About North Country Food Bank
One of five food banks in Minnesota, North Country Food Bank is the sole distributor of surplus quality food and non-food products in northwest and west central Minnesota. It serves a 21-county area including Becker, Beltrami, Clearwater, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Otter Tail, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens, Traverse, Wadena, and Wilkin counties, and Grand Forks, N.D. In addition, North Country serves the Anishinaabe reservations that occupy some of the same geography as these counties. These reservations include White Earth, Red Lake, and Leech Lake. Throughout its service area, North Country provides food and non-food products to its 220 partner agencies (food shelves and other non-profit organizations that address food insecurity) as well as directly to people in need.