Woman Who Helps Feed a Generation Seeks Food Assistance Herself
“This place is amazing. Staff are friendly and the food is great!”
– Channel One Client
A retired woman decided she needed to supplement her income and got a part time job with the school district in the kitchen. She loved her job and the kids she fed, and saw firsthand how important these meals were to their learning and growth. After the schools closed in March, her team worked to distribute meals through the Public School Meals Program to kids and families who were missing out on these school meals.
She saw families struggling to have the food they needed and never thought she might be in the same situation. After being laid off from the job she loved in August, however, it became clear that she would need to make some difficult choices between food and bills.
Thankfully she knew of Channel One and began to visit the food shelf right away so she did not have to go without. She looks forward to a time when she can get back on her feet.
Thank You for Supporting Our Hungry Neighbors
“My children are my everything. When I was laid off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought of them first. Before coming to Channel One, I would skip meals so that they could eat. I know that we’ll overcome this hard time thanks to the support from everyone at Channel One and in our community.”
– Channel One Client
Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to help our community. We appreciate everyone who has donated or volunteered their time helping our neighbors recover from the many impacts of the pandemic.
Freeborn County Residents Receive Food from Truck to Trunk
“We want to thank our partners at the United Way of Freeborn County who helped us hold five Truck to Trunk events, distributing Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Farmers to Families boxes to community members in need.”
– Jennifer Belisle, Programs and Agency Services Director, Channel One Regional Food Bank
From April to August 2020, Channel One worked with United Way to hold five “Truck to Trunk” pop-up pantries in Freeborn County, where residents facing food insecurity were able to pick up boxes filled with healthy food options.
At one of the Freeborn County pop-up pantries, a single parent was picking up an emergency box. They said that he had been having a tough year even before the pandemic and that their family was now struggling to find healthy, affordable food.
When they saw the box filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, and milk, they had tears in their eyes. It meant the world for them to give fresh and healthy food to their two children.
Channel One partners distributed CFAP emergency boxes at similar events throughout our 14-county region as part of a national USDA program to fight food insecurity.
