FARGO, N.D. (KFGO) – Food insecurity has worsened in the wake of COVID-19 and Thursday, Great Plains Food Bank, the region’s largest anti-hunger organization received the largest financial donation in its 38-year history.
Food Bank spokesman Jared Slinde said during July, customers at Hornbacher’s seven stores in the metro gave nearly $100,000 dollars through the stores’ annual “Check Out Hunger” campaign.
He said in 2019, pre-COVID-19, Great Plains Food Bank set a record serving more than 102,000 people, which equates to one in eight North Dakotan’s.
“It’s hard to gauge what the increase actually is now but what we’re seeing are turnouts for food distributions that are off the charts with cars lining up at the distribution sites, so there is the need is there,” Slinde said.
Thursday’s donation will provide nearly 300,000 meals for those in need. Great Plains is North Dakota’s only food bank. Its network includes 213 food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and other feeding operations in 99 cities across North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota.
