USDA Farm to Table headed to Broken Bow
BROKEN BOW - Broken Bow Area Rotary, the City of Broken Bow, Broken Bow Wind II and Jennie M. Melham Memorial Center have teamed up to help bring a USDA Farm to Table COVID Relief food distribution point to Broken Bow.
The truck – arriving early morning March 26 – will contain 960 boxes of food – US sourced fruit, vegetables, dairy and processed meat products. Each box is designed to feed a family of four for a week. In addition there will be 960 gallons of milk available for distribution.
“Broken Bow Area Rotary is grateful we can bring this program here to benefit our community. It’s our hope that this provides a little relief following a difficult year,” Rotary President Veronica Schmidt said.
Here’s what you need to know:
• Delivery is scheduled for March 26, 2021
• Distribution begins at 10 a.m. at Melham parking lot across from the swimming pool next to the soccer fields. Enter the road to the swimming pool off Memorial Drive coming from the east so that you will have a right hand turn as you enter, and those leaving will have a right hand turn as they exit.
• Please do not enter the line before 9:30 a.m. The organizers have a large semi to unload and then will need to get the semi out of the lot.
And as you go through the line, our volunteers will place your box and milk into your car for you. There will not be a need to exit your vehicle. We’ve worked to make this as easy as possible.
• There are no sign ups. No names will be gathered. Food boxes will be distributed first come, first served.
• Distribution is not limited to residents of Broken Bow. Citizens from surrounding communities/counties are invited. It’s important the food be placed where it can be used.
“The city of Broken Bow and its entire staff are excited to assist with such a wonderful event. This will help make people’s lives a little easier and hopefully take at least one worry away during a time they may be struggling,” Broken Bow City Administrator Dan Knoell said.
The distribution is part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to purchase and distribute US agricultural products to those in need. Through this program, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing service is partnering with national, regional and local distributors. The goal is and remains to purchase $6 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat products from American producers of all sizes.
Distributors package these products into family-sized boxes, then transport to food banks and communities asking non-profits to assist in distribution. Nebraska’s distributors through HotMeals USA have reached out to Rotary Clubs across the state for assistance in planning the logistics.
To date USDA contractors have delivered 145,183,711 boxes across the country.
“Broken Bow is blessed to be among the recipients March 26. Thanks everyone for coming together to help with the undertaking,” Rotarian Deb McCaslin said. “Here’s hoping to see you March 26. Our entire nation has felt the impact of COVID. We hope this helps. Just follow the directions of our traffic directors.”
For additional information contact BrokenBowRotary@gmail.com.