Food pantry gearing up for holidays
Dec 11, 2018 -- Posted by :By Cole Short, Hillsboro Banner
Rich Gehrke and the Hillsboro Kiwanis Food Pantry are gearing up for a pre-holiday rush as families begin preparing for Christmas.
Gehrke has served as one of the key committee members and organizers for the local food shelf since its inception in Hillsboro 28 years ago.
The longtime Farmers Union Insurance agent said Tuesday that the food pantry served 30 families prior to Thanksgiving and he’s anticipating another rush prior to Christmas.
“Normally at Christmas we try to give half a ham to each of the families but we also try to give out other (holiday meal) food items,” Gehrke said.
Organizers of the food pantry are seeking a variety of items to bolster their supplies including peanut butter and jelly, laundry and dish soap, cereal and canned items. A full list of supplies being sought by the food shelf appears in an ad on Page 3.
In general, the food pantry is “sitting pretty good” for inventory, Gehrke said.
Residents in Hillsboro tend to donate more as their holiday spirit kicks in, he said.
“We usually get a lot of donations during November and December,” he added.
The Kiwanis Food Pantry hands out supplies on the first and third Mondays of every month from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hillsboro City Armory.
A few last-minute requests also are filled every month as emergencies surface.
The Hillsboro City Commission has allowed the local food shelf to set up shop free of charge inside the armory for nearly three decades, Gehrke said.
Families in need of food pantry items can show up unannounced, although referrals from Traill County Social Services, local churches and the general public are taken as well.
“If someone shows up without any kind of referral we will give them food and explain the process,” Gehrke said. “But we accept referrals from pretty much any kind of source for someone to use the food pantry.
“Our idea is to give people food and not try to (make the process difficult). The system has been working really well for a long time.”
Hillsboro Public Schools is collecting items for the food pantry as part of a holiday drive this month.
Donations also can be dropped at Gehrke’s Farmers Union Insurance office at 20 W. Caledonia Ave. in Hillsboro.
Gehrke said he expects the food pantry will be well-stocked for families for Christmas.
“The community has always been good about helping out,” he said. “The support in town has been great.”