Helping feed the hungry

Smiles and “thank-yous” abounded in the frigid cold of the St. Joseph Catholic Church parking lot as a group of volunteers packed boxes of canned goods, fruit, vegetables, bread, milk, and even bouquets of flowers into cars.

“I just felt there was a need in the community,” co-organizer Gary Schnell said. “Everything is getting more expensive, food, gas, housing.”

Schnell, a board member with Dubois County Community Meals, helped organize the event after seeing a similar program in Evansville. Seeing the need locally, he made a few phone calls and set the distribution date.

The drive operated from 10 a.m. to noon in the St. Joseph Church parking lot, with volunteers from the church and community organization working together to distribute food.

Volunteers distributed boxes containing a variety of items, including canned goods, packaged tuna and chicken, bread, and fresh produce such as broccoli, romaine lettuce, and oranges. Each vehicle that came through the distribution line was logged with household size and zip code information, which organizers sent back to the Tri-State Food Bank in Evansville.

More than 200 people were served on Thursday, with the remaining food items being donated to Shared Abundance in Huntingburg. The leftover bouquets were distributed to the local nursing homes and the hospital.

St. Joseph Church provided the parking lot venue and volunteer support through its parishioners. Additional volunteers came from the Dubois County Community Meals board members and community members who contacted Schnell, offering to help.

“I think it was a great event. I think it was a need and really people were really thankful for it,” Schnell said.

He said another event will likely be scheduled.