Month: June 2021

Idaho Beef Council Vice-Chair, Bill Lickley talks about the ten-year anniversary of Beef Counts and how the Idaho beef industry works together to supply families in need with nutritious beef products to promote nutrition. This was filmed at an Idaho Beef Council distribution in Gooding last summer during the height of the pandemic. To recognize Idaho Beef Month and help thank the ranchers and the beef industry we will be featuring articles, recipes and other useful information. We cannot over-emphasize the need for nutritious protein to help our neighbors in Idaho who struggle with food insecurity.

The “Farmers to Families Food Box Program” is part of the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). We now have distribution dates for October. Please note: Dates and times are subject to change and distributions may be added, rescheduled or cancelled with little notice.

This school year has looked and felt different for children and families across the country. But as the summer season begins, it is important to remember that summer can also mark the time of year when children have less food to eat.

Vonda Pattee celebrated her 25th anniversary with The Idaho Foodbank this year. We appreciate her service, commitment, and integrity.

Founded in 2011, the Palouse-Clearwater Hunger Coalition is doing innovative work to connect local growers with others in the community. Their mission is to increase the production, distribution, and consumption of locally grown food and agriculture products.

June is National Dairy Month. Dairy has important nutrients that are easy for the body to absorb. Calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous help to build and maintain strong bones and teeth. This is especially important for older adults and can help lower the risk of osteoporosis.

A special congratulations to The Traveling Table, serving Canyon County and beyond, for their recent new vehicle purchase. With the use of some money from The Foodbank COVID Relief Grant, as well as other support from the community, they were able to purchase a bigger refrigerated truck.

Reed’s Dairy is among our supporters and is celebrating Dairy Month by giving back. They will be donating a portion of all proceeds on June 23rd to The Idaho Foodbank. You can support the event at their Idaho Falls, Boise, Ammon, and Meridian locations.

The Idaho Foodbank was able to award COVID Relief Grants to our partners this spring to further strengthen the overall hunger relief network of Idaho and impact local communities. $260,500 was distributed to 167 of our partner organizations that applied.

One of The Idaho Foodbank’s core values is agility, and this past year has been a true test of our ability to put that value into action every day. We took aggressive steps to assure our ability to continue to serve by safeguarding our facilities through restricted access, moving non-operation staff to working remote, and adapting how our programs distribute food.

Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, released its annual Map the Meal Gap in May 2021. The report includes analysis of food insecurity in Idaho in 2019, right before the pandemic, along with projections on how the pandemic and other economic changes may impact people facing hunger locally and across the country.