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Food drive off to strong start
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Now in its third year of participation with Family Foods’ parent company, URM Stores Inc., the local grocer teamed up with the fire department in hopes to fill a fire truck full of grocery bags during the first day of the food drive. The fire department helped by getting the word out and delivering the first truckload of food to the food bank, said Michael Moore, Family Food employee and volunteer firefighter. Monday’s effort was entirely volunteer and promoted by KWVR Radio, Enterprise. The food drive generally runs from Thanksgiving to Christmas, store owner Troy Berglund said. Last year the store raised $1,440 in the month between the holidays.This year, with a lot of press and “muscling’’ by the volunteers, Moore said, the results were staggering. At 4 p.m., the end time for the opening day of the drive kick-off, Berglund said the tally was approaching $4,000. Enterprise, Wallowa, Joseph and Imnaha schools were big supporters as well as most of the businesses in Joseph, including Alaskan Bush Wheels, which made a considerable contribution. Typically, bagged foods of selected, non-perishable items are available for purchase at the front of the store for $5 and $10. Customers buy the pre-bagged donations and put them in a shopping cart. Items included in the food bags are applesauce, tuna fish, muffin mix, canned vegetables, peanut butter and spaghetti noodles. When a few carts fill up, Berglund takes the food to Community Connection. The food drive is a program available for participating stores, Berglund said. URM practically gives the food away, making 18 cents on a $5 bag and 9 cents on a $10 bag. “It is their way to give back to the community,” Berglund said. URM’s headquarters and warehouse that supplies the local store is in Spokane. Berglund moved to Joseph after running a Family Foods store in Pomeroy, Wash., for 13 years. He has been in Joseph four years and is a big supporter of the program. “It’s about filling the shelves at the food bank,” he said. The $5 and $10 pre-bagged groceries will be available for purchase and donation until Christmas.
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