Council on Aging FISH unite to form Colfax food bank

After years of working to alleviate hunger from two separate locations, the Council on Aging and FISH (Friends in Service to Humanity) in Colfax have agreed to join forces, and resources, and become the Colfax Food Bank.

“It just makes sense for us to have one location in Colfax and one united purpose,” said Scott Hallett, nutrition director for the Council on Aging.”

In the past, there has been a great deal of confusion over who was running the “food bank” in Colfax and individuals and groups that wished to make donations, or have a food drive, would often be confused about where and who it was they should deal with.

There has never been a conflict between the two food banks and both have worked closely together in the past.

The Council on Aging regularly distributes food twice a month in Colfax, on the second Monday of the month and during the last full working week of the month from their warehouse in the basement of the DSHS building.

FISH has fulfilled individual, immediate needs, after client screening by the Community Action Center staff in Colfax. FISH volunteers put together a basket for the client and deliver it to the CAC office where it is given to the client.

“Both organizations have been doing good deeds and we have worked closely in the past” said Fred Brannon, FISH volunteer. “But it is time to work even closer.” Greater numbers of people needing food and a declining volunteer base have been problems both agencies have had to deal with.

The Colfax Food Bank will be located in the current Council on Aging warehouse where volunteers from both organizations will work together to provide services to clients in Colfax. For the past two years, FISH volunteers and the Council on Aging have joined together to work on Tom’s Turkey Drive, with Rosauers as a major sponsor, and it has proven just how effective it is when the two organizations work together. The joint team will again conduct the turkey drive Nov. 18 and 19 at Rosauers.

“We are still working things out, but we don’t think that clients will notice much immediate difference. Residents and donors, however, will know that we now have just one food bank to deal with in Colfax, run by the same caring volunteers as before from both groups,” said Hallett.

It is also expected that CAC will continue to screen clients for immediate needs.

“We would love to have more volunteers to assist in the merged food bank” said Gail Webster, director of the CAC Colfax outreach office “The need is there, and the Colfax Food Bank can use the help.”

Those interested in helping should contact Suzy McNeilly, volunteer coordinator, at the Council on Aging or Webster at the Colfax CAC office.