Photo by Dave Warner – Sue Tucker with the Little Falls Food Pantry hands groceries to David Dardzinski of the Little Falls Volunteer Corps during an Easter delivery to needy families.
With a new website and digital infrastructure, the Little Falls Volunteer Corps (LFVC) is ready to help bring people together to support one another over the holiday season. LFVC, the Little Falls Family YMCA, and the Little Falls Food Pantry are preparing to deliver 125 thanksgiving meal baskets to local families on November 18th and are currently seeking interested volunteers.
“This Thanksgiving is going to look a lot different for many of us. There are families still social distancing, who won’t be able to be with their loved ones. Volunteering to help make these deliveries happen means that you can make this a special holiday after all”, said Katie Drake, Co-founder of LFVC.
2020 has been a challenging year for many, and the pandemic has exacerbated issues such as unemployment, poverty, and access to food. According to Feeding America, a domestic hunger-relief network of food banks across the country, COVID-19’s impact on food insecurity will result in an increase of 13.2 million people in need, rising from 37.2 million to 50.4 million, a number that includes 17 million children.
In a report released in October, Feeding America said, “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Feeding America network of food banks served over 40 million people each year. Since the crisis began, food banks have faced a “perfect storm” that includes surges in demand, declines in food donations due to supply chain challenges, fewer available volunteers, and other disruptions to the charitable food assistance system’s operating model.”
There is a long history of supporting access to food for community members in Little Falls. For the last 25 years, the Little Falls Family YMCA and the Food Pantry have delivered 125 meals to families. For LFVC, being able to offer additional support this year means this tradition can continue.
Jordyan Mueller, the Lead Organizer with LF Volunteer Corps, said, “LFVC has been fairly quiet for the last couple of months to think about how we can best support our community and expand volunteering locally. We have a new website that makes it easier for people to find opportunities. With the holidays approaching, we know people are out there who want to give back. We are excited to roll this out and keep moving forward”.
In Little Falls, several organizations and local residents have stepped up to support food security in our community, including Boy Scouts Pack 13 Troop 31, Little Falls Community Outreach and the Backpack Program, and charity-sponsored events such as the Turkey Trot, among others.
“This is yet another chance for all of us to show each other what community means here in Little Falls,” said Mueller. “We asked people what volunteering means to them and the resounding response was to be a part of something bigger, and to show our children that we are a community that cares. It is so inspiring, and I think we could use a little inspiration after what has been a grueling year for us all.”
LFVC and partners are seeking 20 volunteers to deliver 6 baskets to families between 12 pm and 2 pm on the 18th of November. Interested volunteers can visit LFVolunteerCorps.com, under “Current Opportunities”.
For more information contact LFVC at LFVolunteerCorps@gmail.com.