Just in time for the holidays, the Food Bank of Iowa will once again bring their mobile pantry program to Stanhope on Saturday, December 14. The Mobile Pantry will be held in Stanhope at the Stanhope Community Center, 600 Main Street, on the corner of  Highway 17 and Main St. Families are asked to bring boxes, bags, or sacks to take their food home.

            This is the fourth and final mobile pantry coming to Stanhope, funded by a grant  with the Food Bank of Iowa who received a $30,000 grant from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) awarded the fall of 2012. The pantries offer an added strategy toward bridging the food assistance gap for rural counties in the Food Bank of Iowa’s 55 county service area. The mobile pantry program has provided an additional access point for those in need to obtain food.  These mobile pantries are a way to face hunger in rural Iowa and providing families with an opportunity to receive food that might otherwise be hard to access.

            A mobile pantry is a “farmer’s market” style distribution. The Food Bank of Iowa will deliver a truckload with a variety of grocery products to the mobile pantry site to distribute to clients in need. The local mobile pantry partner and their volunteers are responsible for unloading, setting up and distributing the food, as well as keeping track of the number of individuals and households being served.

            A representative will also be available to families who wish to receive information about the Iowa Food Stamp program and/or wish to sign up.

            Once again volunteers are needed to help with the Stanhope Mobile Pantry. Many local volunteers and 4-H youth and their leaders have helped with previous mobile pantries. Site leaders are hoping that those who wish to serve the community will take this opportunity to reach out.

            “We have been blessed to have the opportunity to participate in these mobile pantries this year and hope that families in Hamilton County and the surrounding area will take advantage of this opportunity which will give a little extra help during a stressful holiday time when money is tight and needs are hard to meet,”  says Suzie Moore, mobile pantry site coordinator.  “It’s also a wonderful way for people to volunteer to help others during this season of giving and loving and it only requires a few hours of their time.” Volunteers should call Rev. Moore at 826-3557 to volunteer. Volunteers are asked to work 9 a.m.-Noon (or whatever time they can give).

            Food distributed during this pantry will include a wide variety of non-perishable foods as well as fresh and frozen foods. The Stanhope Community is also accepting donations of 4-packs of toilet paper to hand out as part of the pantry.  Donations can be taken to the Stanhope Community Center.

            Weather is always a factor in Iowa at this time of year. In case of cancellation due to bad weather, notification will be on Radio Station KQWC.

 The next Wright County Board of Supervisors meeting will be Monday morning at 9:00 in the supervisors office in Clarion. The agenda includes a meeting with  county engineer on hiring a new engineering technician, take action on bridge load postings, approve an Iowa Department of Transportation agreement to extend paved fillets along Highway 3, and update completed maintenance work orders for 2013. A recommendation by the transportation interview committee to hire Allers Associates Architects as the architect for the new transit building will be looked at. There will also be an update from I2I Corporation on the new housing development project in Clarion. A discussion on an emergency management grant for search and rescue plus other matters.

 Another meeting of the South Hamilton Community School Board will be Monday evening at 6:00 at the middle school high school board room in Jewell. The board will consider an S.D.. application, review the Angelo Architectural Associates Design Team Fee and Payment Schedule, set a hearing for the 2014-15 school calendar early start waiver and look at proposals for the 2014-15 school calendar. There will also be a look at board policies, personnel matters and enter a closed session for the mid year evaluation of the superintendent.