Holiday Need

2010 Itasca Holiday Program Food Box

The Itasca Holiday Program supplies a food box to individuals, families, and seniors in need during the holiday season. The food box is filled with traditional holiday food items, but also some extras to help supplement the nourishment of the families. In the food box this year recipients will find over 30 items such as wild rice, turkey stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy mix, instant potatoes, canned vegetables, pasta, spaghetti sauce, muffin mix, raisins, oat meal, au gratin potatoes, assorted fruit, etc. The food the box also features a $15.00 food voucher for a local grocery store for extras they may need. Every year, Second Harvest distributes 1,700 food boxes to individuals throughout Itasca County and Hill City as well as gifts for children up to the age of 12. It is a direct result of the community support that the Itasca Holiday Program has been a success every year.

The Itasca Holiday program is run in addition to the usual day-to-day operations at Second Harvest North Central Food Bank. November was a record setting month with 951 client visits to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf. Of the 951 households, 73 were new to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf meaning they haven’t visited this year, or ever. The 951 visits also represent 244 seniors, 1,425 adults from the age of 18 to 60, and 1,005 children under the age of 18. With the average of 20 pounds of food per individual, that’s an astounding 53,480 pounds distributed to our hungry neighbors in November.

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank and the Grand Rapids Food Shelf are thankful for the thoughtful consideration of all individuals, groups, congregations, and businesses that participate in food and fund drives. Just recently, the Grand Rapids Area Preschool children and families donated 412 pounds of food they collected throughout the month of November. Anytime Fitness also ran a promotion for new members and raised $255.00. Second Harvest North Central Food Bank can turn each dollar donated into 5 meals and the food collected will help keep the shelves stocked.

Preschool Teachers from left to right: Kristi Cook – St. Joseph’s Preschool, Nancy O’Toole – Ready Set Grow, Cindy Eckert – First Lutheran Preschool, Kristi Erdman – St. Andrew’s Preschool, Laura Bundy – Our Redeemer Little Lambs Preschool, Holli Olson – Miss Mary’s Young Fives, Kelly Olsen – St. Andrew’s Preschool
Not Pictured: Mary Hanson – Miss Mary’s Young Fives, Colleen Casey – St. Andrew’s Preschool, Krystine Jurvalin, Jessica Dixon, and Donna Derby - Our Redeemer Little Lambs Preschool.