Jan. 17—BEMIDJI — Though a bit shorthanded, volunteers with Bemidji’s Ruby’s Pantry were in high spirits as they doled out grocery bundles during the program’s first food distribution event of the year on Wednesday at the Sanford Center.
The monthly nonprofit program, available to anyone regardless of income, allows participants to drive up and receive grocery bundles in exchange for a $25 cash donation.
Keith Willard, Ruby Pantry’s Bemidji facilitator, noted that the groceries are donated by corporate food donors who have overages or surpluses of certain items. In turn, the cash donation mainly covers operational costs.
“(The donation) covers shipping as well as refrigeration and anything that needs to happen to maintain the food quality,” Willard explained. “There is a small portion of every share that is sold that also takes care of our overhead, such as renting the Sanford Center.”
According to the Ruby’s Pantry website, the program operates in more than 80 locations throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa, with more than 240,000 shares distributed in the last year.
Grocery bundles are made up of various drinks, snacks, canned goods, produce and more. Before the distribution events, a partial list of the foods included in each bundle is posted on the
Ruby’s Pantry — Bemidji, MN Facebook page.
Willard noted that while the program is a great resource for the community, it couldn’t happen without the work of its dedicated volunteers.
The amount of volunteers who come to help with the distribution program, Willard expressed, often depends on the weather and the time of year. During Wednesday’s event, a crew of less than 15 worked to ensure the event went smoothly despite the lack of volunteers.
“We’ve had as many as 50 out on a day,” he said. “Today it’s probably going to be one of our more skeleton crews. We’re struggling right now. There’s illness going around and so that affects availability.”
A typical day for volunteers includes helping unload food from the truck around 1 p.m., sorting through the items and then breaking them up into bundles ahead of the distribution. Once 4 p.m. rolls around, volunteers help load bundles into vehicles as they pass through.
To learn more about volunteering with Ruby’s Pantry, visit
rubyspantry.org/become-volunteer.
Distribution events are typically held from 4 to 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Sanford Center. For more information, visit rubyspantry.org or check out the
Ruby’s Pantry — Bemidji, MN Facebook page.
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