Food Bank will stay open amid spread of COVID-19

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri will continue to provide food to residents in and around Boone County, despite the ongoing spread of COVID-19.

The Food Bank serves more than 100,000 people every month across 32 counties. Lindsay Lopez, president and CEO, said staying open to provide food for those in need is more important than ever right now.

"In this time of uncertainty when there is even less access to certain items as you go to area retailers, people may become even more reliant on our help," she said.

Lopez said staff anticipates there are people using the pantry who might have never done so before.

The Food Bank has made several changes to keep its employees, volunteers and residents safe.

"In times like this when there is uncertainty we have to adapt the approach and the models that we are using," Lopez said.

The pantry, located at 1007 Big Bear Blvd. in Columbia, is typically set up like a grocery store where people can walk in and select the items they want.

"As we are following CDC guidelines with social distancing, we've changed that model so now it allows people to actually drive up and we have staff and volunteers who will bring food directly out to people as they need it," Lopez said.

Those without a car can walk into the waiting room to sign up.

Lopez said the new model eliminates some of the choices that came with shopping inside the pantry, but staff and volunteers are mindful that people want to take home a variety of food and healthy options.

"About 60 percent of our overall distribution is coming in the form of those healthy foods. So, especially in a time like this, as long as we have access to those items we will continue to give them out to people that we're serving," she said.

The Food Bank is also struggling to find certain items that are in high demand.

"For us, right now, to find cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, paper goods, it's really difficult. There is definitely a shortage out there," Lopez said.

The new drive-up method has only been in effect for two days. Lopez said so far she has received positive feedback.

In order to continue providing food the Food Bank is taking volunteers, but there have been several changes surrounding volunteering as well. The Food Bank is following recommendations from the CDC and the local health department.

Typically people work in groups, but now volunteers are being asked to distance themselves, sanitize and not come into the Food Bank if they are sick, regardless of their symptoms. Staff at The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri are also continuing to communicate with public schools, as many students in Boone County only eat when they are at school.

Columbia Public Schools announced this week it would close Wednesday until April 13 to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

"We have reached out, have been in communication with all of our partner schools to see if there are new approaches and models that they can adopt so that they can still get food directly to those children who are in need," Lopez said.

She said the Food Bank will also continue to partner with Columbia Public Schools to distribute Buddy Packs.

"We were fortunate that we had, even though it was a very short window of time, we were able to be proactive and to double up the amount of food that went into Buddy Packs as they are going home with children today," Lopez said.