FSA Saves the Day (and the Turkeys)
- November 11th, 2011
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The refrigerated trailer to the left came on loan from FSA and will store hundreds of holiday turkeys until they can be distributed through the Foodbank network. To the right is the blown out unit it replaced.
It’s no exaggeration to say that things looked a little grim at The Idaho Foodbank. On Thursday, Nov. 10, there were 8,000 holiday turkeys in the process of arriving at the Boise warehouse, and the refrigeration unit in the 48-foot trailer that was scheduled to hold most of those birds had just blown up.
Fortunately, all it took was one phone call and the problem was solved. Michael Martin, the Foodbank’s Vice President of Operations, made that call to Branch President Mike Ruffner at Food Service of America in Meridian and told him the situation. Mike talked to Jeff Siebert, VP of Operations, and Curtis Gosselin, Delivery Manager. Within three hours there was a beautiful, inspected 48-foot refrigerated trailer backed up at the Foodbank’s dock.
The $230 charge for fuel and delivery and the $175-per-day rental were all zeroed out.
“We were in a tight spot,” Michael said. “We had planned all along to store the turkeys in our trailer until we could distribute them. There simply isn’t enough room in our freezer for all those turkeys. The folks at FSA really bailed us out.
“On behalf of all the families that will receive those turkeys this holiday season, we owe them a huge thank-you.”
Thanks, Mike, Jeff and Curtis. It certainly helps to have friends on the right places.

