- Daily Freeman-Journal file photo by Brendan Hoffman Items in the food pantry offered by Upper Des Moines at Shashi Station in Webster City. Starting next week, the UDMO food pantry will only be open on Fridays in order to help condense its services.

With schools closed for at least the next three weeks and many folks having to stay home from work to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, many families are feeling the extra pressure of putting food on the table.

Several local organizations and agencies are working to help provide support for those families struggling with food insecurity.

At Trinity Lutheran Church, 1229 Kathy Lane, Rev. Gina Sterk said that the church has received an increased number of phone calls about its food pantry.

The Trinity Lutheran food pantry is open from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Sterk said that with the church being closed to the public for the time being, the church is asking that families wanting to utilize the food pantry call ahead and place an “order.” When the families arrive, church staff will bring the food out for a curbside pickup.

Sterk also noted that with the growing need in the community during this time, the food pantry will need some help as well.

“We’re somewhat limited given that our building is closed, but donations are always welcome and helpful,” she said. “Nonperishables as well as fresh produce.”

Fresh produce has been especially hard for the food pantry to obtain, she said.

Anyone wanting to donate to the Trinity Lutheran food pantry is asked to call the church office to set up a time to bring donations in.

The church office can be reached at 515-832-2220.

Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc. of Hamilton County, 1610 Collins St., is also seeing an increase in demand for its food pantry program during the past couple weeks.

“The biggest increase has been new households,” said Alisa Schlief, family and community services director for UDMO. “People that have never utilized our services before are now finding themselves in a situation where they need services.”

Starting next week, the UDMO food pantry in Webster City will only be open on Fridays, in order for the UDMO staff to help condense its services.

“Families just need to call and let us know that they’re coming and we’ll bring it outside when they arrive,” Schlief said.

Families can reach the UDMO office by calling 515-832-6451.

While UDMO is happy to help serve those in need, it needs help to do so, Schlief said.

“If the demand continues the way it is, we will be running out of food,” she said.

The program is accepting both food donations and monetary donations, however Schlief said the staff prefer food donations. With monetary donations, she said, staff have to go out to the stores and try to find food that might be hard to stock in stores, and many stores now have limits on some products. So it’s more helpful for the UDMO food pantry program to donate food products.

Right now, Schlief said, the Webster City food pantry is running low on canned vegetables, as well as paper products and hygiene items.

For families utilizing the food pantry, the UDMO staff will try to do most of the regular paperwork over the phone, but what they can’t get done over the phone, they will just mail out for families to finish and return later.

“Right now, our biggest concern is getting that food and services out to everybody that needs them,” Schlief said. “We’ll figure out the details of the paperwork when we can, but we just want to make sure that families are getting what they need.”

At All Cultures Equal, 1440 E. Second St., the staff are considering moving their twice-a-month food pantry to once a month because of the increase in families needing the service and the uncertainty of the availability of food items.

Terry Sponheimer, office manager for ACE, said on Thursday, the ACE food pantry served 46 families, which is 10 more than the food pantry two weeks prior.

She said that if a family is in dire need of food, they can call the ACE office at 515-832-4153 and the staff will do its best to put together some food to give them.

Sponheimer also said community members wanting to donate food or money to the ACE food pantry, they can also call the ACE office to schedule a time to drop off items.

Another program, designed to help keep Webster City Community School District students fed when they aren’t in school, is also offering its resources during this time.

The organizers of the Backpack Program have established an emergency distribution site at the Webster City Hy-Vee to continue distributing food to families. The pick-up will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, at the Webster City Hy-Vee, 823 Second St.

Children do not need to be present and parents may send a friend or family member to pick up backpacks on their behalf. Volunteers onsite will ask for the first name and grade of the child.

The backpacks will have several weeks’ worth of backpack food items.

The Backpack Program has also partnered with Iowa Select farms to offer ham and bread, along with coupon books that can be used for additional food.

“We are so grateful for our partners and the volunteers who are doing unbelievable work to help keep children fed during this very challenging time in our community,” said Dr. Mandy Ross, WCCSD superintendent. “The Backpack Program has been a truly impressive effort over the past couple years. Now, some creative thinking has ensured the program can continue on as we practice social distancing.”

Families who have questions or who are unable to pick up backpacks April 1 should contact Danielle Enderson at 515-468-5564 or via email daniellesenderson@gmail.com. Door drop home deliveries may be arranged upon request.