Foodbank distribution event at Nutter Center
Thousands of area families going through crisis, official says.
FAIRBORN — The need for local food assistance during the coronavirus pandemic has remained steady, said organizers of a Wednesday food distribution in Greene County.
The Foodbank will hold another mass food distribution from noon to 2 p.m. at Wright State’s Nutter Center, according to Lee Lauren Truesdale, chief development officer.
“I think people’s lives are stabilizing, and our numbers are reflecting that, but there are always people in need,” Truesdale said. “There are thousands of families in our area who have a crisis everyday and it might not be because of the coronavirus, but we are responding to those everyday crises, too.”
March and the firsthalf of April saw the highest demand for food, Truesdale said.
“The economy seems to be in a better position than it was, and it seems like some people are able to go back to work,” Trues
dale said.
The Foodbank predicts that there could be an increased need for food assistance into next year.
For the last six years, Wright State has partnered with The Foodbank to host a mass distribution at the Nutter Center. The Food- bank served nearly 1,400 during a food distribution event at the Nutter Center in April. The Foodbank said that was the organization’s largest food distribution in its history.
Truesdale said The Food- bank is planning to serve 2,500 on Wednesday, but is unsure how many might come.
The Foodbank asks that families not start lining up before 10 a.m. There is a limit of two households per vehicle, and carpooling is encouraged for people who are in regular contact.
Vehicles should have an empty trunk or backseat so The Foodbank staff and volunteers can load food with minimal person-to-person contact. Truesdale said families can expect to receive a variety of items, including fresh produce.
Cars should enter the Nutter Center parking lot from Col. Glenn Highway and North Fairfield Road. Food will be distributed in Lot 8 behind the Nutter Center.
Truesdale said The Foodbank has hired police to direct traffic at the intersec- tion of Col. Glenn Highway and North Fairfield Road.
There was confusion at the end of the April mass distribution and many were not able to be served after waiting in long lines. Truesdale said to ensure that doesn’t happen again, the police will be there directing traffic and communicat- ing with those in line.
Any cars in line on Raider Road by 2 p.m. will be served, Truesdale said.
Anyone who can’t get food on Wednesday is welcome to come to The Foodbank’s drive-thru pantry on Thurs- day from 10 a.m. to noon, located at 56 Armor Place. The Foodbank staff will be at the warehouse and the Nutter Center on Wednesday.
713 people came through the drive-thru pantry on Monday.
The Foodbank’s drive-thru is open this week to distribute food from Monday to Thursday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to noon. The Foodbank will continue to be open Mondays through Thursdays the entire month of June.
The Foodbank also plans to do a mass distribution this month in Preble County in partnership with Henny Penny. Truesdale said the date for the Preble County mass distribution will be announced later this month.
For more information, contact The Foodbank’s emergency line at 937-949-4096 or contact United Way 2-1-1 for support outside of distribution hours.
For those who can’t make it to the drive-thru pantry or the mass distributions, the local pantries are a good option. Truesdale said The Foodbank can direct those in need to a local pantry as their partner agencies begin