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A Million Pounds of Difference: A Community United

Joining the Idaho Foodbank in fighting hunger and food insecurity statewide

Article by Chelsea Chambers

Photography by Idaho Foodbank

Originally published in Meridian Lifestyle

We often forget the magnitude of a million. If you were to count for sixteen hours a day, saying one digit every five seconds, it would still take you nearly 40 (approximately 37.3) days to count to one million. A million is a lot, of anything. Now imagine millions, specifically in pounds of food—free food given to Idahoans since 1984. In just the last fiscal year alone, the Idaho Foodbank has provided food for over 23 million meals.

Reaching more than 200,000 people a month, the Foodbank is 90% funded by donor support, which speaks volumes to the kind of people we have here in the Gem State. Located in Lewiston, Meridian, and Pocatello, the Idaho Foodbank is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides delicious, nutritious food to over 400 partners across the state including schools, senior centers, shelters, churches, and more.

Recently, the Idaho Foodbank has undergone a transition in leadership from Karen Vauk, who served for 14 years, to Randy Ford, who took over as CEO in October 2023.

“It’s been a positive transition,” shared Morgan Wilson, the Foodbank’s Chief Development Officer. She continues, “Randy was previously The Foodbank’s Chief Operating Officer for nearly three years, and brings extensive experience in organizational management, capacity building, and strategic planning to the role. Moreover, he has a strong commitment to our values; taking care of our team and neighbors in need is always the focus. I am loving the work we are doing to advance innovative initiatives to address the root causes of hunger through collaborating, empowering, uniting, and connecting with communities.”

It’s been just about one year since Ford took over as president and things have really been ramping up. “The Idaho Foodbank distributed 6.9 million pounds of food during Karen Vauk’s first year as President and CEO. Now, The Idaho Foodbank distributes 28.6 million pounds of food – enough for up to 23.8 million meals. This growth is a reflection of the work to make food available in places in Idaho where the need was not being met.”

Food insecurity is, unfortunately, becoming more commonplace as time goes on. With inflation at an all-time high with no sign of slowing down, more and more families begin to rely on the Idaho Foodbank to keep their pantries full.

Beyond providing the Gem State with millions of pounds of food, the Foodbank also prides itself on a community-oriented focus. “Our vision is to create a hunger-free Idaho through continuing to provide access to nutritious food and focusing on the root causes of hunger,” explained Wilson. “Through connecting, collaborating, and bringing together partners and communities we can create pathways to resources and education that allow people to thrive.”

If you are inspired by the Foodbank’s vision, there are so many ways to get involved. Beyond donating time and funding (which are essential!), there are many creative paths forward when working to solve the problem of hunger and food insecurity. Tackling such a lofty, multi-faceted issue such as this can be a heavy lift and requires the combined brainpower and efforts of so many people.

“The organization will continue to deploy our resources and efforts to build pathways toward ending hunger by connecting neighbors to resources and education to improve nutrition awareness, access to healthcare, as well as bridges to housing, transportation, and job training. Food insecurity does not exist in a vacuum, and we know that food alone will not help our neighbors in need – we have to work together to truly make an impact.”

Let’s join forces with Morgan, Randy, and the entire Idaho Foodbank Team and help make a positive difference in the face of food insecurity.

Our vision is to create a hunger-free Idaho through continuing to provide access to nutritious food and focusing on the root causes of hunger.