In reaction to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many events and activities have been either cancelled or postponed — both here and across the nation.

One of those is the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive conducted annually in May. It has been postponed until further notice.

Locally, that food drive has bene fited the Ellsworth County Food Bank for the past 18 years. Last year alone, Ellsworth citizens donated 19,572 pounds of food.

Mark Inglett, strategic communications specialist with the United States Postal Service in Kansas City, Mo., said food banks are struggling right now. He said once the postal service is

He said once the postal service is given the all clear, it looks forward to serving its customers again. For Karin Renard, director of the

For Karin Renard, director of the Ellsworth County Food Bank, the loss of this one food drive hit hard.

The food bank, inside the Harvest Bible Church in Ellsworth, is fully stocked at the moment, thanks in part to a recent community “Cruise” and food drive. But the shelves won’t stay full for long, especially with the uncertainty that the ongoing statewide stay-at-home order brings with it.

“We will definitely need donations,” Renard said in an April 8 telephone interview with the Independent-Reporter. “We won’t make it until October without some sort of drive.”

Renard said the NALC food drive is just one of three large food drives (the other two being the Ellsworth FFA Trick or Canning food drive and the Ellsworth Junior-Senior High School and Ellsworth Elementary School Can the Teacher food drive) she has come to depend upon to stock the shelves at the food bank.

The problem is both of those food drives are typically conducted in the fall. Therefore, it is important that the Ellsworth County Food Bank keep receiving donations of non-perishable food, hamburger, household and hygiene products — or even monetary donations.

“We never turn anything down,” Renard said.

Cash donations, she noted, are tax-deductible since the food bank is a non-profit organization.

Renard said people in Ellsworth County are generous and it has been a long time since the food bank didn’t have a large amount of food available.

She said donations of food can be dropped of at the Ellsworth County Health Department during normal business hours, or placed in the specially marked barrel inside Ellsworth’s Gene’s Heartland Foods.

To make an appointment to pick up items at the food bank, call the county health department, (785) 472-4488.

In Holyrood, those needing food can call the Holyrood Food Bank, which is located in Fellowship Hall of the St. Paul’s United Church of Christ.

Pastor Debbie Rains said the food bank is temporarily closed due to restrictions of the COVID-19 crisis. However, you can call Pastor Rains, (785) 252-7161, to make arrangements to visit the food bank and pick up food.

In Wilson, the Wilson Food Bank is located at the First Presbyterian Church. Pastor Becky Stredney said the food bank is accessible by request only by calling Theresa Heinrich, (785) 810-8268, and making arrangements.