| September 2011-Rapid City Food Pantry |
| Tuesday, 06 September 2011 15:46 |
|
More than 850,000 pounds of food were distributed through the Rapid City Food Pantry last year. And according to their records, more than 16,000 children were fed as a result of their services. They say nutrition is one of the most important things taken into consideration when providing food to families with children. Rapid City Food Pantry Coordinator Leigh Gibson says, "Without proper nutrition, children don't learn as well, don't grow as well and just don't thrive as well as they do with the proper nutrition, and families that come in here do try to get as much nutrition into the little bit that we have available." As well as providing nutritional choices for children, they also try to stock items that will be enjoyed by kids as well. Gibson says, "We always try to put juices out that kids will like, cereal bars... kids like cereal bars. Our meats are mostly kid-friendly because we do get a lot of chicken donated to us. Most kids do like chicken." They even keep stock specifically for babies. They provide baby food, and even diapers for the little ones, but the pantry says those are some of the items that fly off the shelves the fastest. That's when the pantry turns to the public for donations. And it's for the efforts of the Food Pantry and the public that assist struggling families with children that Black Hills FOX salutes the Rapid City Food Pantry for being committed to kids. Brendyn Medina |
