Community Foundation President & CEO Stewart Stearns with All Faiths Food Bank Executive Director Dan Dunn and driver Jim Swimford with a very full truck.

On a steamy Tuesday in July, fog poured out of the new refrigerated truck that donors of the Community Foundation financed for All Faiths Food Bank. On this particular afternoon, the 26-foot truck was chock full of melons, asparagus, fresh salmon filets and other top quality food donated by Wal-Mart …5,000 pounds worth!

 

“We are distributing about 350,000 pounds of food per month now,” said Dan Dunn, executive director of the All Faiths Food Bank. “This truck has really helped us with the increase in demand that spiked last fall.” Dunn noted that they’re seeing more and more needy people at the Food Bank, including parents who have never had to ask for help to feed their families before. Dunn stressed that the $90,000 truck has closed the gap in distribution capabilities and enhanced deliveries to local food pantries by 20 percent.

“We can’t thank the donors of the Community Foundation enough for their kindness and for swiftly coming to the aid of the people in our community with the purchase of this truck,” Dunn said. It only took one week for the Community Foundation’s Wendy Hopkins and Tom Waters to find a small group of donors happy to use their donor-advised funds to secure the vehicle, raising a total of $84,000. All Faiths Food Bank came up with the remaining $6,000, and good community partners such as Wal-Mart have been making sure that the pantry remains well-stocked.  Click here to visit their website.