Contributed by Eddie Ezelle. MatSu Food Bank
What is a food bank?
I have heard on several occasions recently that someone doesn’t think the MatSu Food Bank is a “food bank”. I wish to clarify more by using the description from Feeding America’s website.
“A food bank is a non-profit organization that collects and distributes food to hunger-relief charities. Food banks act as food storage and distribution depots for smaller frontline agencies; and usually do not themselves give out food directly to people struggling with hunger..”
(We still maintain the Food Pantry of Wasilla.)
Food banks in the U.S. are very diverse, from small operations serving people spread out across large rural areas to very large facilities that store and distribute many millions of pounds of food each year, and everything in between. A variety of factors impact how food banks work, from the size of the facility to the number of staff members. But, one thing all food banks have in common is that they rely on donors and volunteers to carry out their day-to-day operations.
If you put MatSu in front of “food bank” in the above quote, it describes exactly what we do. Our statistics show from January 2019 to October 2019, we have given other agencies here in the Valley 442,260 lbs. of food. This does not count the 22,000 people served, conservatively, 704,000 lbs. of food in the same time through the Wasilla Food Pantry.
So, I am not sure where the comments about not being a food bank is coming from or based on, but we do a great job of feeding your neighbors in need by helping other agencies and using our own Pantry to get food to families in need. If you don’t understand what we are doing, then I encourage you to investigate, study it and ask questions before repeating rumors about things unknown. If you do not understand what we do, then come see us and find out for yourself. We welcome volunteers!
Thanks,
Eddie Ezelle, Executive Director of MatSu Food Bank
