Agencies, Tribe, Interfaith Plan for November Food Need
Last Tuesday, 10/28, representatives of Churchill County School District, Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe, Churchill County Social Services, and church leaders gathered at the Wolf Center to brainstorm a plan to provide emergency food supplies to federal workers and SNAP beneficiaries.
The USDA recently announced it would cease funding SNAP after a bill to fund the federal government failed. The shutdown passed the 30-day mark this weekend. On Thursday, October 30, the Interim Finance Committee of the Nevada legislature voted to send $38.6 million to the state’s two major food banks, Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Three Squares in Las Vegas. Those entities distribute food to hundreds of regional and local partner food pantries. In Churchill County, those partners are New Frontier, Toi Ticutta Food Hub, Out of Egypt, and Wolf Center.
Approximately 3,500 individuals (800 families) in Churchill County rely on SNAP benefits. Statewide, that number is 500,000. Kelli Kelly, a food and agricultural business advisor for Nevada’s Small Business Development Center, said that demand at food pantries will skyrocket. For every one food pantry client, there are nine who rely on SNAP benefits weekly. The average benefit is about $150 per person. Not only that, but federal workers, including military personnel at Fallon Naval Air Base, are expecting wage halts indefinitely. Kelly initiated the meeting with Pastor Dawn Blundell, who leads Fallon Epworth United Methodist Church and Wolf Center Community Services next door on Esmeralda Street. Due to limited resources in neighboring towns, Fallon may also experience increased demand for food assistance from outside Churchill County.
Interfaith leaders took turns identifying capacity needs in the next few weeks, as food receipts and deliveries expand, and offered resources. Lead Pastor Caleb Szymanski of Oasis Community Church offered the old bowling alley, which Oasis recently purchased, as a temporary central storage hub for the large influx of additional food they expect from FBNN. Glen and Beth Perazzo offered volunteer manpower from local LDS churches. Lattin Farms is providing additional cold storage for meat, dairy, and produce.
In testimony before the state finance committee, Beth Martino of Three Squares asserted that expanded food distribution would take at least two weeks and that Three Squares and FBNN have already placed large orders with their suppliers.
Pastor Dawn assembled the following information about food pantries, hot meals, other resources, and volunteer needs in a press release:
Food Pantries & Commodities:
- Mondays: New Frontier Treatment Center (8 am–4 pm), Epworth Community Food Pantry at the Wolf Center (10 am–1 pm), FPST Toi Ticutta Food Hub (3 pm–5 pm; open to all)
- Wednesdays: FPST Toi Ticutta Food Hub (9 am–12 pm; open to all)
- Thursdays: Out of Egypt Food Pantry (9:30 am–11 am)
- Fridays: FPST Toi Ticutta Food Hub (9 am–12 pm; open to all)
- FBNN Mobile Harvest: Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe (2nd Tuesday monthly, 12:30–1:30 pm; November only: Thursday, Nov 6, 12:30–1:30 pm, tribe members only)
- FBNN Mobile Harvest (produce): William Pennington Life Center (2nd Thursday monthly, 9–10:30 am)
- Commodities (milk, cheese, etc.): William Pennington Life Center (4th Thursday monthly, 11:30 am–12:30 pm)
- Pregnancy Care Center: Formula, diapers, and related items available
- Sundays: Breakfast at Oasis Community Church
- Mondays: Hot supper at Fallon Daily Bread (5–6 pm, Wolf Center)
- Tuesdays: Breakfast at Oasis Community Church (7:30–9 am)
- Wednesdays: Sack lunches at Epworth UMC (10 am–1 pm, 280 E Stillwater); hot meal at Fallon Naz (5–6 pm)
- Thursdays: Hot supper at Fallon Daily Bread (5–6 pm, Wolf Center)
- Fridays: No meal currently; Elks Lodge may begin service pending support
- Saturdays: Sack lunches at Epworth UMC (10 am–1 pm, 280 E Stillwater)
- Monday–Friday: Hot lunch at William Pennington Life Center (11:30 am–12:30 pm; free for seniors, $6 for others)
- Oasis Community Church: Free lunches for high school students on Thursdays.
Hot and Cold Meals:
- Sundays: Breakfast at Oasis Community Church
- Mondays: Hot supper at Fallon Daily Bread (5–6 pm, Wolf Center)
- Tuesdays: Breakfast at Oasis Community Church (7:30–9 am)
- Wednesdays: Sack lunches at Epworth UMC (10 am–1 pm, 280 E Stillwater); hot meal at Fallon Naz (5–6 pm)
- Thursdays: Hot supper at Fallon Daily Bread (5–6 pm, Wolf Center)
- Fridays: No meal currently; Elks Lodge may begin service pending support
- Saturdays: Sack lunches at Epworth UMC (10 am–1 pm, 280 E Stillwater)
- Monday–Friday: Hot lunch at William Pennington Life Center (11:30 am–12:30 pm; free for seniors, $6 for others)
- Oasis Community Church: Free lunches for high school students on Thursdays.Additional Initiatives
- Fallon Nazarene Church/Out of Egypt are hosting a coat drive and spaghetti feed on Nov. 1st.
- Elks: Collecting socks and blankets at
- Fallon Daily Bread is hosting a large community Thanksgiving meal on November 24th, open to all.
- Food drive items are being collected in blue barrels provided by the Fallon Dairymen’s Association, with drop-off at the bowling alley (Oasis Community Church). Monetary donations may be directed to area pantries or converted to gift cards for distribution.
Communication & Volunteer Coordination
Volunteer needs will be posted on JustServe.org. Flyers with current information will be distributed and posted throughout the community and online. A Google form for assistance requests will be hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, with QR codes and hard copies available at pantries and agencies.
New Frontier, Fallon Naz, Christian Life Center, and partners will deliver food to those unable to access pantries. These organizations have vehicles available but need to recruit many volunteer drivers for various dates and times. Volunteers may sign up in person or through JustServe.org, a website run by the LDS church.
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