Grand Forks Mission Food Pantry to Temporarily Close Amidst Shortage

(Photo provided by Northlands Rescue Mission)

(KNOX) – The shelves at the Northlands Rescue Mission food pantry are nearly empty. Mission staff say it has been that way for a while. There are several reasons for the food shortage, including funding cuts and supply chain disruptions, which have led to fewer donations from food banks and local businesses.

At the same time, more families than ever are relying on food pantries. The Mission pantry provides food boxes to between 400 and 700 families each month, a number that has more than doubled since 2021. Food boxes typically include dry goods, baked goods, produce, and meat. The food boxes are meant to supplement grocery purchases, and families are limited to one box per month.

The Mission plans to temporarily close the food pantry starting August 8th. During the closure, they will focus on serving meals to people staying at the Mission and stockpiling enough food to re-open the pantry.

“We’ve tried to prevent this by reducing our food pantry hours, but the demand just keeps growing,” says Mission Director Everett Jones. “Our shelves are nearly empty, and we’ve reached a point where we must temporarily close the pantry to rebuild. For now, we’ll continue serving hot meals while supplies last.”