Kootenai-Shoshone Farm Bureau fights local food insecurity
Kootenai-Shoshone County Farm Bureau announced it has donated $15,000 to local food banks on Dec. 29.
From left to right: Joy Crupper of the Farm Bureau, Kim Edmondson of the Farm Bureau, Chip the dog, Paul Brown of Canopy Village, Claire Dunn of Canopy Village, Darrell Rickard of Community Action Partnership, Brana Cully of 3rd Avenue Marketplace, Steve Magnuson of 3rd Avenue Marketplace, Chris Craft of the Farm Bureau and Rob Rider of the Farm Bureau.
CAROLYN BOSTICK/Press
Kim Edmondson of the Kootenai-Shoshone Farm Bureau has announced that the grassroots agricultural organization donated a total of $15,000 by giving $1,500 each to community agencies.
Post Falls Food Bank, Athol Food Bank, Spirit Lake Food Bank, Harrison Food Bank, Rathdrum Food Bank, Shoshone County Food Bank, Community Action Partnership, Canopy Village, Union Gospel Mission in Coeur d'Alene and Christmas for All received funds in November.
“We are grateful to have the means to support those in our community who experience hardships,” Edmondson said.
Brana Cully of the 3rd Avenue Marketplace said the money will fight food insecurity among local children.
“We will use the funds for purchasing food for the Weekend Backpack program. This program supplies nutritious weekend food kits to 250+ school-aged children in the Post Falls School District,” Cully said.
After the backpack program began, Cully said teachers and school counselors noticed improvements in children's attentiveness, participation and overall well-being on Mondays because they had food on hand to feed them throughout the weekend through the program.
“These children come from families living below 200% of the federal poverty level, and many are part of households struggling to afford even the most basic necessities like rent and utilities,” Cully said.