Every year, the Winnemucca Ministerial Association (WMA) and Winnemucca Food Bank try to ensure every family in Humboldt County can have a special Christmas dinner. Volunteers will gather at the exhibit hall at the fairgrounds on Monday, Dec. 19 starting at 9 a.m. to distribute the donated food into separate boxes so each family or individual will receive what they need.
WMA President Stan Rorex sent out the call for volunteers. “We’ll need a lot of volunteers, and it is a great community service thing to do at Christmas time. Volunteers will sort the food into individual boxes on Monday, then on Tuesday, the boxes will be distributed — to McDermitt in the morning, then to senior citizens starting after lunch and beginning at 2 p.m. everyone else can pick up theirs.”
Sign-ups to receive a food box were filled out and turned in to the WMA or Winnemucca Food Bank at the beginning of December. Food drives at the schools and by different businesses and organizations have been going on throughout the community. All of the food collected goes to the Winnemucca Food Bank — the food bank brings the food to the exhibit hall to be sorted into all the Christmas boxes.
Donations to the Winnemucca Food Bank are down this year, and have been going down for some time. The bank used to receive enough food to distribute boxes for Thanksgiving meals too, but fewer donations have meant reducing it to just the Christmas food boxes.
The WMA sent out letters to individuals and businesses in the community on the first of November seeking donations to help at Christmas time and all year long. WMA provides the food served at the soup kitchen lunch on Tuesday at noon and dinner Thursdays and Sundays at 6 p.m. at the United Methodist Church.
Local grocery stores donate toward the food bank and gives customers the opportunity to do so while they’re shopping. Newmont, Barrick and Klondex mines also help with funds, food, and even warm coats for those in need. Newmont’s “Stuff the Bus” event gathers both presents and food.
Food drives by the mail carriers and local schools help a great deal and this year’s food drive by Winnemucca cub and boy scout troops collected over 1,562 pounds of food.
Donations of non-perishable food items or money are welcome right now at Christmastime and all year long at the Winnemucca Food Bank at 150 South Bridge Street — open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
