Going mobile in food distribution at Hanna

The Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies came to the Hanna Recreation Center on Friday morning to distribute food in a different manner than prior times.

The food was distributed directly to vehicles from tables set up outside the recreation center. Vivian Gonzales, director for the center and coordinator for the local distribution arrived at 8 a.m. and volunteers arrived soon after.

There were already cars getting in line when Gonzales arrived. The distribution started at 10 a.m.

One vehicle could pick up for one additional family, it the paperwork was filled out.

The procedure started with Gonzales taking the information when a vehicle pulled up. After the paperwork was complete, Gonzales would signal to two volunteers how many families were to receive the goods. There was a sealed box with dry goods such as canned vegetables, nuts, cereal, sauces and rice. There was another box of produce that was put together by volunteers. This box had apples, oranges, cauliflower, peppers, onions, and potatoes. Milk, soda and boxes of cookies also went to each family.

Before the two volunteers loaded the car, another volunteer opened the doors of the vehicle and when it was loaded, the same volunteer shut the doors and trunks. All volunteers were in masks and gloves.

No driver got out of their vehicles.

"The operation went smoothly," Gonzales said. "Considering the line went all the way back to the overpass (about two miles), we got people their food in timely manner."

Gonzales said she had spoken with Myriam Wolcott, Wyoming Programs Manager, for Food Bank of the Rockies, on how to be efficient with this truly mobile operation.

"We ironed it out and it helps having good volunteers that know what to do," Gonzales said. "This is just the new face of it, due to COVID."

Wolcott was at the recreation center to help as was a Wyoming highway state patrolman.

"I came at the request of the governor," Officer McCallister said. "This program is important to the first lady and she is strongly behind it, as is the governor."

McCallister got the boxes ready for the volunteers that were putting the food into the vehicles.

"I think it is a very efficient model," Wolcott said. "It can be a bit robotic for people coming, so I always want to make sure that we have someone talking to them as they sit in their car, because I know if we don't we could lose the human interaction."

Wolcott sees this model staying for some time to come.

"Even after COVID goes away, our model is going to be a drive thru," Wolcott said. "We are finding this model works very well because it so efficient."

Wolcott started with the food bank in September and oversees 180 agencies and 220 programs.

"Mobile pantries are very popular because we are able to go to a community and distribute 60,000, 80,000, 100,000 pounds of food within a few hours," Wolcott said. "Sometimes we feed over a 1000 families."

Hanna had 143 boxes for families. The boxes ran out, but there were still about a dozen or so vehicles that still received produce and milk.

The food bank was done at 1:30 p.m.

"Hanna went really well," Wolcott said. "The volunteers did a great job. Also, the site coordinator is in the position to make or break distribution and Hanna had a very good one."

She said safety was the key for distribution, whether it was the recipient or the volunteer. Wolcott said every county in Wyoming will have a mobile food bank by the end of June.

When winter comes, Wolcott did acknowledge the model might have to shift to doing some distribution inside.

"Winter time we may have to adapt some," Wolcott said. "It is all adapting to what is and then making the best of it."