GRAND RAPIDS — United Way of 1000 Lakes is launching Flavors of Our Community, the Itasca area’s first culturally specific food drive.
Now through April 30, the organization is calling on the region to help stock local food pantries for families experiencing food insecurity. The Flavors of Our Community drive is a statewide food initiative focused on increasing access to culturally specific food items.
The Grand Rapids area community is home to many cultures with a variety of meaningful foods and flavors, the organization stated.
“Food plays a major role in identity, family, tradition, and culture,” stated Kimberly Brink Smith, United Way executive director. “Through our ‘Flavors of Our Community’ program, we are asking volunteers to donate food that reflects the diversity of our region.”
In partnership with community food pantries, United Way of 1000 Lakes developed three different pantry packs containing a variety of food items — like bamboo shoots, lentils and manoomin (wild rice) — that are essential to families served by these organizations.
The organization’s goal is to engage volunteers to purchase and assemble these pantry packs. Donated packs can be delivered to a drop-off site in the community, the locations of which include Itasca County Family YMCA, Children’s Discovery Museum, Klockow Brewing Co., Rapids Brewing Co., all Woodland Bank locations and United Way’s office.
To participate, visit uwlakes.org/flavors and select a food pack, purchase the items, assemble and drop them off at a community drop-off location.
