Haul Out Hunger— Lord's Cupboard, Fort Dodge
posted on Wednesday, July 3, 2019
“One of the biggest misconceptions about food banks is that families just come here for a hand out, but that is not true,” said Joni Ham-Olson of the Lord’s Cupboard in Fort Dodge. “Imagine working at least 40-50 hours every week, but still struggling to put food on your family’s table. The families we serve are some of the most hardworking people I know.”
Located in the basement of the United Methodist Church office in Fort Dodge, the Lord’s Cupboard is a power house when it comes to food pantries and serves 60-100 households per week. Families are allowed to come 5 times a year.
“We rely on the assistance of 24-30 volunteers every week to keep the wheels moving,” explained Joni. “Our volunteers are amazing and have a genuine love for our clients and community. They just want to help make the world a better place.”
According to Joni, 1 in 5 children in Webster County miss important meals in the summer due to school being on break and no access to breakfast and/or lunch programs.
“Protein is essential in our diet, especially children. We need it for bone, blood and muscle health,” explained Joni. “But the heartbreaking reality is that it’s also very expensive, making meat less available for our clients.”
To help fight food insecurity in Webster County, our Haul Out Hunger team loaded the freezer at the Lord’s Cupboard with 120 pork loins, followed by three donations of an additional 288 pork loins. In total, those pork loins will provide 9,792 servings of pork for families in need in Fort Dodge and surrounding communities.
“Families look to stretch money and groceries as far as possible,” said Joni. “Many will prepare this pork loin as a main dish and then use leftovers in sandwiches and casseroles. These loins are so generous in size and are going to feed many hungry families here in Webster County.”
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