Efforts at food bank earn praise

Dear editor:

If you drove by Grace Lutheran Church on American Legion Blvd. Friday afternoon, March 20, around 3 p.m., you would have seen a bunch of cars parked beside the church and a line of people waiting by the door.

It was their March Food Bank distribution. Over the next four hours, a group of volunteers from Mountain Home AFB, Richard McKenna School, Grace Lutheran, the ATV Club, ESA, the hospital and many individuals from the community would distribute boxes of much needed food to about 111 families, which represent over 400 people.

These volunteers range in age from as young as eight to senior citizens. The teenagers from the school and the young adults from the base have lots of energy and enthusiasm and you can see that they are enjoying the opportunity to help.

The food was donated by the Mountain Home community, Curves, The Family Dollar Store, Teton Valley Potatoes, and many other individuals and organizations.

Grace Lutheran Church has been running the food bank just over one year and the families needing assistance have more than doubled. The people receiving the food have been referred by El-Ada and Health and Welfare. If you are interested in volunteering or donating, please contact Tina Ruberry at 587-2602 or Jan Newman at 580-5525. If you are a family in need, please contact El-Ada or Health and Welfare.

I personally would like to thank the volunteers, the community, and Grace Lutheran Church for the great work they are doing.

Steve Gustafson