Countywide service provides free food
Staff reporter
In a back room, no larger than a utility room, are wooden and metal shelves used to store food.
Through the generosity of Valley United Methodist Church at 300 E. Santa Fe, Marion, allowing the bank to operate from church property, and numerous volunteers and benefactors, Marion County Emergency Food Bank exists.
Erna Mae Yeagley spends time restocking shelves, purchasing items, and hauling food. Since the room is small, she prefers that food donations be brought to her rural Marion home. Then she sorts and brings in the items as needed, twice a week, after the bank has been open for distribution.
"We serve the entire county and then some," Yeagley said.
By the time this interview began at 10 a.m. Thursday, there already had been a family who had come to the food bank. Volunteer Ruth McGinness of rural Marion assisted them.
"It was a family of eight taking food for 30 days," McGinness said.
"That's a lot of food going out at one time," Yeagley responded.
Yeagley has been the driving force of the food bank for more than 20 years. She is grateful to her church for providing a room for the bank but always keeps her eye out for something larger and easier to access.
The food bank currently is located in the southwest corner of the church building with a separate outdoor entrance from Third Street. Narrow stone steps with a metal railing is the only way to move food in and out of the small warehouse.
The petite, 88-year-old knows exactly the number of steps she has to climb each time she brings in food. Seven.
"I've made a lot of trips up and down those steps," Yeagley said.
She's had help from time to time. When Marion Chamber of Commerce Secretary Margo Yates sees Yeagley unloading her car, she comes over to help and sometimes brings others to assist.
All in all, Yeagley and the volunteers, who sign up through their respective churches, are appreciative to the Methodist church for allowing the bank to operate at no charge.
"There was a time that we had to move out for a while and it was difficult to find someplace to go," she said. "We asked just about every church in town to assist us and ended up coming back to Valley Methodist."
The community has been extremely generous in monetary donations to the food bank but Yeagley said what is needed most is
Local Boy Scouts have annual food drives which benefit the cause but Yeagley would like to see more efforts.
The self-service bank allows individuals and families to come and "shop" for the free items.
"Referrals are required," McGinness explained, which can be from a minister, SRS, Marion County Health Department, Marion County Department for Elderly, Mid-Cap, or other agencies.
"Some food banks give a bag of food with selected items to recipients," Yeagley said. "We let people choose their own items so they'll eat them. There's no need to give people food they won't eat."
So how did it all get started? Yeagley and others saw a need for a food bank and started it.
It's obvious when times are tough because there are more people coming to the food bank.
The bank is open from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays. Yeagley said it used to be just a few people who came to the bank on Mondays because referrals weren't always available from agencies on that day. Now volunteers are noticing an increase on Mondays.
In addition to donated items, the bank receives USDA commodities which requires the recipient to meet specific income requirements.
Deer meat also is available which is stored in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator in the bank.
Twenty-five dollar vouchers are available through the food bank. These certificates allow recipients to go to local merchants and purchase items that are not available at the bank. Much of the monetary donations are used for the vouchers.
All in all, the system works well and it is evident that Yeagley is pleased and proud to be a part of an important service.
"My concern is who is going to do this when I no longer can?" she asked.
Want to help?
Yeagley lives at the corner of Remington and U.S.-56. Food donations may be taken her to her home but calling first (620) 382-2581 is a good idea. Monetary donations also are welcome.
