The Galesburg Community Foundation and River Bend Food Bank’s partnership to bring a regional food bank branch to Galesburg will be located at the corner of Main and Henderson Streets in the former Rheinschmidt’s Carpet Center.
The River Bend Food Bank will provide greater access to more nutritious and perishable foods for more than 50 food pantries, including the FISH Food Pantry in Galesburg, and the Jamieson Community Center in Monmouth.
Galesburg Site Director Bobbi Pio (pictured above) explains the role that River Bend Food Bank — which this year is celebrating its 40th year in the Quad Cities — will play in providing greater access to food for residents of both Warren and Knox counties:
“River Bend Food Bank is leading a community-wide effort to end hunger in eastern Iowa and western Illinois,” Pio said Wednesday, during a WRAM “Copmmunity Hour” interview with host Vanessa Wetterling. “We do that by partnering with 300-plus agencies like Jamieson Community Center, like Helping Hands in Roseville, FISH of Galesburg, to distribute food to people in need.”
Nancy Mowen, executive director of the Jamieson Community Center, said the addition of a quality food bank will make a significant difference for many Knox and Warren County families.
“Right now we place our orders with River Bend, and they deliver to us once a month,” Mowen said. “I am so excited that there will be a new branch opening (in the fall of this year) in Galesburg, because that will allow us to get more food (and stock our shelves) more frequently.”
The quality and selection of the food is “wonderful,” Mowen said.
“I think it’s really important (for the JCC) as a food pantry,” Mowen said, “that we have consistency in what we are able to offer to families.
“That way they what to expect, and better use their dollars and stretch their (food) budgets. If they know what to expect from us, that helps them.”
In Mowen’s opinion, River Bend has made “tremendous progress” over the past eight years in service to the area food pantries.
The decision to open a Galesburg location revolves around food insecurity and the emergence of “food deserts” in small and rural communities in this part of the country — particularly when grocery stores close or relocate.
“I think it’s important for people to know that food bank is a warehousing system that works with food pantries and distribution centers, and we felt by locating to this area we would be able to provide resources (for the pantries and distribution centers) on a more regular basis, especially for the southern counties,” Pio said.
A 4,000-square-foot cooler-freezer at the Galesburg location will have frozen proteins and fresh produce available to the pantries, when needed. Which, in turn, will significantly reduce the amount of travel and cost for the pantries that typically would have to travel to the Quad Cities to restock their shelves.
