Holidays take their toll on CF Food Bank

CLARK FORK — After handing out 75 boxes with turkey and all the fixings for Thanksgiving, the Clark Fork Food Bank is trying to replenish its shelves for Christmas meals.

"With the two holidays so close together, we are trying to build the stock back up so we have everything for Christmas," said Patricia Derr, food bank manager.

Derr said they will have tables lined with food items for Christmas dinner so people can take their pick of the options, so donations of things like pumpkin, dressing, canned milk, cranberries, string beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fresh produce are welcome. They will have turkeys purchased from Walmart and baked goods from Yoke's available for clients as well.

The Clark Fork Food Bank is often thought to be a branch of the Sandpoint food bank, but Derr said it is not affiliated. Operating out of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Clark Fork, the food bank is financed strictly through donation, she said.

Derr and her husband, Roland, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, make the trip to Coeur d'Alene each month to pick up food from the Department of Agriculture.

"Some months there might be as many as 10 things to choose from," she said. "Some months, like this one, there was only two things to choose from.

Second Harvest in Spokane delivers food as far as the Bonner Mall, where the Derrs pick it up and haul it the rest of the way to Clark Fork. Locally, Yoke's is the food bank's only regular supplier of food three days a week.

The number of people the food bank serves varies by week, but in total more than the 75 families who picked up Thanksgiving boxes are signed up, Derr said. 

"It's a very rewarding thing to help so many people," she said.

Derr has been running the food bank for about 12 years, taking it over after hearing it was going to close for good.

"I knew nothing about running a food bank," Derr said. "Only thing I had ever done was walked in and donated stuff at one time — It was really a learning experience, but we have really built it up a lot."

Donations can be dropped off at the food bank, 700 Pine St., Clark Fork. Regular hours of operation are 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays.