For the past 12 years, the Barnesville Area Food Pantry, supplied by the Great Plains Food Bank, has been a shining example of the Great Plains Food Bank’s mission in action. Through this vital partnership, Mary Anderson has been organizing Holiday Food Baskets for Thanksgiving and Easter, demonstrating how our network of community partners helps our neighbors in need.
“In the beginning, I used large foil tins they could use to cook with,” Mary says. “The tins contained the meat (turkey/ham), vegetables, potatoes, buns, butter, and a dessert. In those days, nothing was donated.”
Today, the entire community comes together to create Holiday Food Baskets for everyone who signs up. Every basket includes turkey or ham, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, olives, and ice cream for dessert.
The Holiday Food Baskets are a tradition rooted in care, community, and the belief that everyone deserves to feel the warmth of the season. “This is a very giving community,” Mary adds. “This is small-town living!”
Thank you for supporting the Great Plains Food Bank and the network of food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens we supply in over 100 communities across North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota!