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Lord’s Cupboard gave food aid in wake of storm

Pantry replenished many residents’ spoiled supplies

After an extended power outage forced many Fort Dodge residents to dispose of the contents of their refrigerators and freezers, the Lord’s Cupboard provided vital food supplies.

On May 16, Fort Dodge was hit with 70plus mph winds that devastated neighborhoods and left thousands without electricity. For the next 24 to 48 hours, the community was without power which left many families with the only option of discarding all items in their refrigerators. For those on the poverty line, it meant going without food.

On Thursday, the Lord’s Cupboard was swamped with residents needing more food because of everything that they had lost. More people and a higher demand for food meant Suzanne Young, director of the Lord’s Cupboard, had to think quickly. The next morning, she contacted the Food Bank of Iowa and requested emergency food.

“We are so thankful for the generosity and quick organizing of the Food Bank of Iowa,” Young said. ”Within two hours they had loaded over 3,000 pounds of food and 3,200 pounds of produce and were on their way to do an emergency food distribution for our county. ”

When word of this got out, the Rev. Andrea Kraushaar, of First United Methodist Church, contacted Chris Helton, the business administrator of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Dodge, and the two churches collaborated their emergency funds and purchased items such as milk, bread, cereal, bologna, hotdogs, and eggs to help with the effort. “I knew the Lord’s Cupboard couldn’t pay for all the extra food needed to help during this emergency,” said Kraushaar.

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., The Lord’s Cupboard volunteers served more than 100 families with produce, canned food, meat, bread, milk, eggs, and more.

The Lord’s Cupboard is located at First United Methodist Church, 127 N. 10th St., and is run solely on donations and volunteers in Webster County. The need for food, volunteers, and financial contributions is ongoing.

“As a reminder, the need has no season,” Young said. ”Giving is always up around the holidays so summer brings a cash flow issue.”

Check out the Lord’s Cupboard’s Facebook page for more information on donating or getting involved in this amazing ministry.

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