Utah Food Bank
On January 10th, 2012, I was able to join other AAWCC-SLCC members in visiting the new headquarters of the Utah Food Bank. We were able to donate 130 lbs. of food to help them achieve their mission to “meet the immediate basic needs of people in our community who don’t know where else to turn.” We were able to tour the new offices which included their Kids’ Cafe kitchen where they prepare nutritious meals for less fortunate children to eat after they leave school, and a conference room which is available to the public for training.
Inside of the food warehouse was hundreds of thousands of pounds of food. Several of the boxes had been decorated for the holidays by helpful kids. We also saw the large check that the Food Bank received from Wal-Mart from the Facebook campaign from last year. The money was used for refrigerated trucks that enabled the Food Bank to expand their grocery rescue program. This program works with local grocers to collect perishable items that are nearing their expiration dates. After the tour we were able to volunteer with other groups to sort and package meals for the elderly.
There are many opportunities available to volunteer or donate the the Utah Food Bank. Most opportunities are for people ages 12 and up, but on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings they invite families ages 5 and up to come join the fun. For more information about the Utah Food Bank, please visit their website at www.utahfoodbank.org.
Ashley Sokia, AAWCC-SLCC Secretary 2012
