Heroic Donors Come to lift Channel One out of Flooding
Rochester, Minnesota – July 29, 2019
Channel One employees and volunteers came to work to find their fleet of trucks and cars were submerged by flooding, on June 28th. Channel One is a food bank and food shelf that serves over 100,000 people per year and relies heavily on the use of their fleet to do this important work. So much so that the fleet travels 6 days a week all over 14 counties in southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
After flooding receded and property damage could be assessed, it was determined that Channel One would have to repair its 4 food delivery trucks and total 4 other vehicles. Although Channel One was insured, it would not allow the company to immediately replace the vehicles without taking on unplanned expenses. The unfortunate news of flooding spread across the region, and heroic donors came to Channel One’s aid in this unexpected circumstance. Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, headquartered in St. Paul, MN, with branches in the region swiftly asked how they could best support the people Channel One serves. In working with Channel One, Affinity Plus made a charitable gift to get all of the remaining vehicles back on the road and continue serving the people across the region.
What inspired such a heroic gift? Billie Packer, Branch Manager for Rochester & Winona, of Affinity Plus shared, “The pictures of Channel One’s trucks submerged in water broke our hearts. Knowing that so many people would be without food until those trucks were back on the road delivering, we knew our members would want us to step in and help.”
Virginia Merritt, Executive Director of Channel One shared, “these unexpected circumstances are an unfortunate reminder that many of the individuals we serve also experience unexpected hardships that may substantially reduce a family budget. Whether it be a car repair bill, a lay-off, or medical expenses Channel One is committed to serving individuals struggling with food insecurity. One should always adequate and reliable food – no matter your circumstances. We are so grateful for the community’s support and profoundly grateful to Affinity Plus’ swift action to come to our rescue. Their gift shows their commitment to supporting our work so we may continue focusing our energy on providing food to the region and people we serve.
