WTE: Farm to Families Food Box yields many blessings

On Saturday, August 22, 400 cars from all over Uinta County came to receive as much as 55 pounds of frozen meat and cheese per family. There to assist were 40 volunteers from evangelical churches around the community. Each simple transaction of giving and receiving took only a few minutes. But it was part of a much larger story.

In early July, Convoy of Hope, a Missouri-based non-profit affiliated with the Assemblies of God, announced that it had partnered with the USDA to bring the Farmers to Families Food Box program to Wyoming. If we could organize the local distribution, this program would supply up to two truckloads of precooked and frozen meats and cheeses.

Groundwork began immediately. We needed to find a cooling facility that could handle an entire semi-trailer load—24 pallets—of frozen meats and cheese. Pastors fanned out in the community, exploring options. Local business owner, Michael Searle, heard about the need and offered the use of Western Wyoming Beverage’s refrigerated warehouse. Once this generous donation was made, the remaining pieces soon fell into place.

What needed to happen on the ground in Evanston was only the final link in a chain that spans miles and decades from the rich black earth of the Midwest to the tables of millions of Americans.

A good place to begin the story is at a signing ceremony on January 29, 2001. There, President George W. Bush signed an executive order that created the “USDA Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives.” This initiative tasked the USDA to harness the energy and knowhow of countless church and community charities across America.

Then, on March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Corona Virus Relief Act. One of its provisions allocated three billion dollars to purchase agricultural products and distribute them to those in need. The Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives was tailor-made for the task.

On April 17, USDA secretary, Will Perdue, announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. This program was designed to help three different sectors that were hit by the shutdowns.

First, it would assist farmers. As restaurants were closed and restricted across America, the delicately balanced supply chain was disrupted. Farmers were being forced to dump tons of milk and euthanize animals by the truckload. Many were asking, “Why waste it? Why not give it away?” This program is the answer to those questions.

Second, as the restaurant industry slowed to a halt, so did the restaurant-supply industry. Trucks and truckers that made regular deliveries to a bevy of eating establishments suddenly had no place to go. How would those families make ends meet? How would those businesses remain open to serve the restaurants after the pandemic? The trucker who delivered Evanston’s meat on August 21 still had his job in part because the USDA paid the company to deliver the food to Evanston.

Third, the program was designed to distribute food to people around the nation who were experiencing loss of income due to the virus. How many have been laid off? How many small businesses have been shuttered? How many laborers have reduced hours? While not everyone is suddenly destitute, we are all tightening belts and trimming budgets. Nearly 60 pounds of prepared meats is a significant value for any family.

The first round of purchases for the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, occurred from May 15 through June 30, 2020. With $1.2 billion, the USDA certified that 35.6 million families were served with fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meat products. Distributors and non-profits were vetted for their track-record of getting the job done. After the fact, invoices were matched to deliveries to make sure that the food got to the people who needed it.

Evanston’s distribution was part of the second round that began on July 1. In this run, 32.2 million boxes are expected to be delivered by August 31. Secretary Perdue said: “The program is accomplishing what we intended – supporting U.S. farmers and distributors and getting food to those who need it most. It’s a real trifecta, which is why we call it a win-win-win.”

In addition to last Saturday’s distribution, the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies also partnered with the City of Evanston and Crossroads New Life Fellowship to distribute 80-pound boxes of non-perishable food to everyone who comes.

The Farmers to Families Food Box Program is still taking orders. Contact your local churches and see about bringing it to your community. At a time of hardship, economic downturn and growing agitation, there is nothing that builds community more than joining together to complete a complex and strenuous project. It turns our eyes outward in service and upward in thanksgiving. That’s good medicine.

Also published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, August 28, 2020.