Loaves and Fishes Helps Community

The Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry held their monthly food distribution this past Thursday from their location on Illinois Avenue in Council. The volunteers there distributed about 100 boxes of food to local families. The box sizes vary based on the size and need of the family and can contain about 5-15 pounds of food. Examples of food items included in the boxes are fresh and canned vegetables, meat, and the basic staples you would expect to find in a food pantry.

Loaves and Fishes started as an organization in 2008 and they have four board members as well as a group of volunteers. They all work together to help sort and prepare boxes to passing them out on distribution days. Board members probably put in up to 15 hours each month and the volunteers each give 2-3 hours of their time each month to keep things running smoothly.

Marj Freedman, who is on the board, tells me that they generally distribute about 85 boxes of food of various sizes each month during the rest of the year. They don’t turn people away. If they show up, they get food. The pantry is there to fill a need in the community according to Freedman.

Marj says that they are currently looking for more donations of meat of all kinds.

The Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry distributes food monthly on the third Thursday of the Month. Food donations can be dropped at the side door of the Loaves and Fishes building where an enclosed space was made to keep food out of the elements and animals out of the food.

To locate other Food Pantries in the area, you can visit https://idahofoodbank.org/get-help/getfood/.

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