Shayne Britt and Roxie Reyes examine a delicata squash at an October visit of Food For People's Mobile Produce Pantry to Klamath. Photo: Jessica Cejnar

Roughly three months after its first foray north of the Del Norte County line, Food For People’s Mobile Produce Pantry will become a regular fixture in Klamath.

The Humboldt County-based food bank has partnered with the Community Food Council of Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands to bring fresh fruit and vegetables to Klamath residents on Jan. 30 at the Boys and Girls Club. Produce distribution will then be held the third Thursday of the month starting Feb. 20, according a Community Food Council press release.

Food For People will provide the produce, the Community Food Council will distribute the produce and the Yurok Education Department will provide the venue, according the release.

“(Food For People) did a pilot pantry distribution in October and it went really well,” Angela Lanctot, the Community Food Council’s food program coordinator, told the Wild Rivers Outpost. “They’ve been trying to figure out how they can do distribution.”

Matt Drummond, community garden planner for the Redwood Community Action Agency, came up with the idea to tack a Klamath visit on to the Mobile Produce Pantry’s October itinerary.

The Community Food Council then reached out to Food For People to discuss ways to work together, Lanctot said. Food For People's Executive Director, Ann Holcomb discussed ways to make Klamath a permanent stop for the Mobile Produce Pantry with Lanctot and Community Food Council representatives.

With the Mobile Produce Pantry already visiting Orick on the third Thursday of the month, Food For People decided it would be worth driving a bit further north, Lanctot said.

“They said, ‘Hey, if we brought produce up, the driver could bring it from Orick and bring it to you, would you run the distribution?’” Lanctot said. “We said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’”

Lanctot said she spoke with Jim McQuillen, the Yurok Tribe’s education director.

"He was very excited about using a room adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club that could be the future Family Resource Center," Lanctot said via email.

Along with free fresh produce, the Food Council will bring representatives with Champions For Change to Klamath to do some recipe demonstrations and taste testing, Lanctot said.

“And, hopefully, we get our milk from Alexandres every Wednesday night — whatever we can take when they’re no longer able to sell it,” she said. “I’ll be able to also bring down two coolers of organic milk that will be free.”

The Mobile Produce Pantry will be in Klamath from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Boys and Girls Club, 168 Klamath Boulevard. Subsequent visits to Klamath will be held from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Boys and Girls Club.

The produce is for Emergency Food Assistance Program income eligible households, according to the news release. No identification or income verification is needed. People should bring their own shopping bags, according to the press release.

For more information, call Lanctot at (707) 464-0955 extension 2109 or email alanctot@frcredwoods.org.

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