The North Country Food Bank (NCFB)and the United Way of Crookston held a food shelf planning discussion for Crookston on Tuesday evening at Valley Technology Park. NCFB currently operates the food shelf in Crookston in addition to their regular food bank operations. However, with a scheduled move to East Grand Forks at the end of the year, the food bank will no longer be able to operate the food shelf and is looking for a person, group or organization to take over the operation.
Susie Novak, NCFB Director, told the group of about 20 gathered that the food shelf in Crookston serves up to 300 families in Crookston each month and that continuing to have a food shelf operating in Crookston is important to help those struggling with hunger. “The food shelf currently serves between 250-300 families each month,” said Novak. “We are moving the food bank to East Grand Forks, but the food shelf needs to stay here in Crookston. It’s really important that the community have the food shelf running and operational feeding the people who need it. Our goal is to have some group, organization, person step forward and be willing to operate the food shelf by October 1 so we’re still here in the community for several months to help them get organized with the process, the food, and all those things they might need to get up and running.”
The food shelf may be able to operate out of its current location, although an organization could move sites with relative ease thought Novak, who said the food shelf already has volunteers and the space needed is smaller than the size of a classroom. “We have some built-in volunteers that work at the food shelf right now,” said Novak. “Depending on times the food shelf will be open and where it’s going to be located on many of them may consider staying and helping at the food shelf. The food shelf basically needs a room the size of a big office or a classroom or smaller. We have equipment currently in the food shelf we’re willing to give to whatever group, organization or person that takes over the food shelf. We have food we’re willing to give and a little funding to get them started. We want to make it an easy process. We want someone who cares about feeding people in the community to take it over and continue feeding people.”
The operators of the food shelf would need to follow a few basic rules most notably either being a 501C3 organization or being sponsored by one said, Novak. “A food shelf has to be operated by a 501C3,” said Novak. “That has to be a sponsor or someone who operates a non-profit organization. It can not charge for the food that it distributes to people in need. Some food safety regulations need to be met. Nothing super complicated but just so that there is assurance that the food is safe for the people who are receiving it. Some civil rights rules have to be met too. There can’t be discrimination of any kind with serving people at the food shelf.”
If a new food shelf operator can be found Novak said the relationship between the food shelf and NCFB would include the food bank delivering food to the food shelf. “I would hope that our relationship with whoever is operating the food shelf would be very similar to our relationship currently with the food shelf,” said Novak. “What we do as a food bank, we provide food to 220 organizations that serve people in need in northwest and west-central Minnesota. So, we would still bring food to the food shelf here in Crookston, and the food shelf will distribute that food out to people in the community who struggle with hunger.”
Novak also told those who attended that she is confident they have enough time to find someone to operate a food shelf in Crookston. But one solution, if they were unable to, was to schedule food drops in Crookston, which is not ideal, until a food shelf can be set up.
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