Esther Reese, with the Wrangell Cooperative Association, packs up the food boxes her organization and the Salvation Army provided to families last Friday. The WCA received 50 boxes of food to donate last week, she said, with 50 more expected this week, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers to Families food box program.
The Wrangell Cooperative Association, Wrangell's tribal organization, and the Salvation Army collaborated last Friday to hand out 50 food boxes to people in need, with a second distribution planned for this Friday.
Esther Reese, WCA tribal administrator, said her organization signed up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to participate in their Farmers to Families Food Box program.
It's a nationwide effort to support farmers and families, with the federal government buying the food from farmers and distributing it to families hit by the economic pain of the pandemic. More than 132 million food boxes had been handed out as of a Jan. 4 announcement by the USDA.
The WCA received 50 boxes of food to distribute to Wrangell residents, but needed assistance in putting it together. The WCA's carving shed was already in use, Reese said, as they are building smokehouses for tribal members. That was where the Salvation Army came in.
"We know the people," Lt. Jon Tollerud said. "They asked for a hand and we're more than happy to help."
The boxes were distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Reese shared on Facebook that there would be 50 more boxes available this week for pickup on Friday, at the Salvation Army office.
Reese also said this may become a weekly occurrence, but he was not certain.
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