2020 ANNUAL REPORT
from Board President Bob Rohla:
Needless to say, the pandemic of 2020 has impacted all sectors of our community and the Emergency Food Pantry was not immune to its effects. Throughout the pandemic, our top priority was keeping clients, staff, and volunteers safe, and the Board of Directors worked with our Executive Director and staff to make that happen. Clients now receive food baskets outside and are no longer entering the building. Upgraded technology has been instrumental in making this transition possible. As we adjust to a new way of doing things, our staff and volunteers continue to work toward our mission of supporting the community by reducing hunger.
The pandemic also impacted the amount of food distributed and the number of clients that we served over the year. While those numbers dropped, the monetary support the Emergency Food Pantry received through donations and grants was significantly higher than in previous years. This included a $100,000 grant from the City of Fargo for food purchases, as well as assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program guarantee that our food basket offerings remained consistent and that our staff would not suffer any economic hardships as a result of COVID-19. While dealing with these unforeseen circumstances, the Board continues to work on our five-year strategic plan with goals that are guided by these priorities:
• Community Education
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Funding and Financial Management
• Programs and Services
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I want to thank the pantry staff, volunteers, churches, businesses, and community agencies that helped
keep us faithful to our mission during such a difficult and unpredictable year. Thanks to you, the Emergency Food Pantry has been able to keep our community safe while continuing our important work. We are grateful for
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Stacie Loegering
Many of us looked toward the start of a new decade as an opportunity to achieve goals that previously felt unattainable and find perfect “2020 vision” in our lives. But as the year 2020 progressed and the world navigated its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost this vision and hopefulness. Decisions about how to socially distance, provide children’s education at home, and pay bills without an income became the norm for many. The stresses of the pandemic impacted the Emergency Food Pantry as well.
Throughout 2020, the Emergency Food Pantry maintained continual service and operated with unique options such as accommodating dietary needs, creating birthday bags for kids, and providing prenatal vitamins. The “what” we did remained the same, but the “how” did not. Within one week of the first person testing positive for COVID-19 in Minnesota and North Dakota, the Emergency Food Pantry changed the client checkin process and internal processes of preparing food baskets. The pantry team was innovative and resourceful. From those early days through the next nine months of 2020, I observed our values in practice. Our employees and volunteers
remained compassionate. Businesses and local funders maintained connection. We continued collaborating with other organizations. Those first three C’s (compassion + connection + collaboration) support the community.
Clients who had struggled with low income and poverty in the past felt extra pressure as the world rapidly changed around them. We met new neighbors who had never received assistance before. Clients who had never needed a service like a pantry learned firsthand the stress of not knowing where their next meal would come from. As rapidly as the community showed need, the Emergency Food Pantry rapidly adapted to fulfill these needs.
One household that requested help for the first time stands out for me. Shortly after the coronavirus was named a pandemic, Richard and Mary’s grandchildren moved in with them to ease the stress for their daughter, Jennifer, who was a single mother. They had both been retired for five years. They found themselves caring for the day-to-day and educational needs of their grandchildren as Jennifer’s income decreased. They
2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bob Rohla, President
Sonja Hunter, Vice President
Tim Rhode, Secretary
Berta Schmidt, Treasurer
Aaron Nissen
Caileen Heuertz
Melissa Schmidt
Wayne Hankel
Megan Myrdal
were scared to leave their home and embarrassed to ask for food. They called the Emergency Food Pantry to get directions and explained their stress and discomfort. We registered them and rolled the grocery cart of food directly to their car so they did not have to go near anyone else. They accepted the food with tears in their eyes and words of gratitude for the pantry and its supporters. A few months later, Richard and Mary returned for a second food basket to make ends meet. All the
2020 CLIENT & FOOD STATISTICS
Total Individuals Served: 44,524*
2,631 Total Carts of Food Provided to Households: 13,927
Distributed Pounds of Food:
Unduplicated Households Served: 6,808
THANK YOU TO VOLUNTEERS & THE COMMUNITY
As the number of individuals and families in need of food has grown in past years, so has the number of volunteers. Businesses, churches, service clubs, and individuals have made a strong web of volunteers that accomplish the pantry’s goals. But in the early spring of 2020, that changed. Health officials named the novel coronavirus a pandemic and social distancing was recommended. Some volunteers opted to stop volunteering for a while. Businesses, churches, and community groups were asked to minimize group gatherings. In a short period of time, it was recommended that people wear masks to reduce the risk of transmitting the airborne virus. More volunteers chose to stop volunteering. When the needs of clients increased and it seemed nearly impossible to keep up, Drekker and Community Living Services stepped forward to fill the gap. At a time that was so uncertain for them, they paved the way for us and set a foundation of success to ensure there was no gap in services. A special thank you to Gate City Bank for providing canvas shopping bags so we could
prepack our nonperishable foods. To reduce potential risk, we began to collect our food and nonfood donations in a pallet box instead of weighing each donation separately. There are many individuals, churches, businesses, and groups that are not listed below due to the change in accepting donations to reduce COVID-19 risks, but they are all more than deserving of our recognition and thanks.
Churches have been instrumental in the success of the Emergency Food Pantry from the beginning. We owe a special thanks to the following churches and congregations who continued to support the mission through the pandemic: Atonement Lutheran, Bethel Evangelical Free, Bethlehem Lutheran, Calvary United Methodist, Christ the King, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Community Presbyterian, Elim Lutheran, Faith Lutheran, First Baptist Church, First Congregational Church UCC - Fargo, First Congregational Church UCC -
Moorhead, First Lutheran, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist, Flame of Faith United Methodist, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Moorhead, Grace Lutheran, Grace Methodist, Holy Spirit Catholic, Hope Lutheran, Immanuel Lutheran, Kindred Lutheran, Living Hope Baptist, Lutheran Church of the Cross, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Messiah Lutheran, Nativity Catholic, Norman Lutheran, Our Savior’s Lutheran, Plymouth Congregational, Pontoppidan Lutheran, Prairie Heights, Presentation Sisters, Shepherd of the Prairie, St. Anne & Joachim, St. Anthony’s Catholic, St. Benedict’s Catholic, St. Mark’s Lutheran, and St. Mary’s Catholic.
COVID-19 grant dollars became available and local businesses stepped up to provide us with goods and services to increase safety and enhance client services. We are grateful to Codelation, Emerging Digital Academy, Express Employment Professionals, Floor to Ceiling Carpet-One, NetCenter Technologies, Office Sign Company, Preference Employment Solutions, S&L Computers, and Tellwell for providing services as we increased pantry employees, equipment, and technology.
Our services continued because of the dedication and the support from many in the community. As volunteers dwindled to remain safe in their homes, other volunteers and staff stepped up. As spring food drives were cancelled, other opportunities became available. In addition to our yearly donors, we had many new partners align with our mission. We are so grateful for the support from individuals who donated portions of their stimulus checks, paychecks, and saving accounts; individuals and churches who donated food, hygiene products, boxes, and bags; individuals and churches who provided volunteers; as well as Adric Inc., AgCountry, Alex Stern Family Foundation, Altrusa, Anonymous Donors, Anonymous Fund, APEX, BCBS North Dakota Caring Foundation, Bell Bank, Boy Scouts, Carol Widman’s, CashWise, Cass County Area Retired Teachers, Cass County Electric Cooperative, Caterpillar Remanufacturing, City of Fargo (COVID-19 CARES Grant), City of Moorhead, Community Living Services (CLS), Community Options, Concordia, Copper River
870 unique volunteers served 19,840 hours
(These hours are equivalent to 9.5 full-time workers. At $10.00 an hour that is nearly $200,000 worth of labor.)
Group, COSTCO, Dakota Medical Foundation, Dawson Insurance/ March & McLennan, Department of Commerce (Economic Resiliency Grant), Drekker, Fargo Elks Lodge 260, Family Fare, Fargo Gateway Lions, Fargo Optimists, Fargo Retired Teacher’s Association, FM Area Foundation, FM Sertoma, Food of the North, Gate City Bank, Girl Scouts, Great Plains Food Bank, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, Growing Together Gardens, Heartland Trust Co., Hornbacher’s, Impact Foundation, Knights of Columbus – Holy Spirit, Master Gardeners, Matt’s Automotive Service Center, Marvin Windows, Microsoft, Minnkota Power, Moorhead Kiwanis, Moorhead Midday Lions, MSUM, ND Community Foundation, NDSU, Northern Lights Dental, Offutt Foundation, PEO, Prairie St. John’s, Prinsco, Rapid Refill, RDO, Real Property Services, Regency Title, Rough Riders Kiwanis, Royal Neighbors of America, Scheels, Sertoma, SENDCAA (COVID-19 funding), Small Business Association (PPP Loan Forgiveness), Southpoint Kiwanis, Spartan Nash, Sun Butter, Telephone Pioneers, Thrivent, Trilogy Real Estate, Ulteig Engineering, UNFI, United Way of Cass-Clay, USDA People Garden, US Bank, Valley Senior Services, Verizon, Veterans Affairs, VFW #762, Wells Fargo, and Wenck Associates.
2020 looked different than any other year. However, food remained a need for all. The Emergency Food Pantry was able to continue services due to tremendous community support.
2020 SOURCES OF FOOD
Emergency Food Pantry
1101 4th Avenue North Fargo, ND 58102
701-237-9337
EmergencyFoodPantry.com
2022
50 YEARS OF SERVICE
2021 is an important year for the Emergency Food Pantry. As we transition out of our COVID-19 pandemic response, we transition into our 50th year of service in 2022. Our organization began from an idea among MSUM Social Work students in 1970. Their idea lit a spark that allowed a group of churches to start the Emergency Food Pantry two years later. This organization has continued to provide nourishment to those in need in our community since that time.
We wish to honor and remember those who made the pantry possible and those who received support from the pantry. If you or someone you know has a connection to the pantry, please consider sharing your story or experience to enhance our organization’s history. Email us at contact@emergencyfoodpantry.com
Please check out our newly updated website at www.emergencyfoodpantry.com and sign up for digital newsletters to stay informed about our exciting 50 year celebrations to be held in 2022.
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