Reno, NV, March 18, 2020 —The Food Bank of Northern Nevada reminds the community that they will continue services to assist families facing food insecurity, as well as those who may experience new economic hardships as a result of recent closures due to the COVID-19 situation. With non-essential businesses closing, the Food Bank is aware that some residents may find a need for temporary emergency food services.
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is working closely with community partners to ensure that children, their families, and other neighbors in need of food assistance are able to access the resources they need during this uncertain time.
If households are in need of help during this difficult time, they are encouraged to reach out to the Food Bank at 775-331-3663 or by visiting the Get Help section of FBNN.org to find the distributions closest to them.
Because the safety of the clients, volunteers, and staff of the Food Bank are of upmost importance, it is asked that anyone attending a distribution take the following precautions:
- Please keep safe social distances from others
- Whenever possible, please limit the number of household members who attend distributions
o We recommend 1 person per household
- If you are ill, please do not attend a distribution
o Clients may have a friend or neighbor pick up from a distribution on their behalf by simply writing a short note to be presented when food is picked up
- Practice frequent and thorough hand washing with soap
- Remember to sneeze or cough away from others and into your elbow when possible
- Volunteers and employees are wearing gloves and sanitizing surfaces for the protection of all served through Food Bank programs
The Food Bank is grateful to the many community members and businesses who have already reached out seeking ways they can support continued food distributions.
To ensure the highest food safety standards for our community, the Food Bank is seeking monetary donations to purchase the most needed items and is not encouraging community food drives. Community members who would like to give are encouraged to visit FBNN.org to make a donation or to host a virtual food drive on behalf of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Virtual Food Drives can be established by submitting the Food Drive Request form at fbnn.org/fooddrive.
Volunteers are still needed at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada distribution center to assist with sorting and packing food to continue to meet the demand of the community. Community members who are feeling well and would like to participate are encouraged to view the volunteer schedule at fbnn.org/volunteer. Steps are being taken to protect the safety of the volunteers, including working in small groups to limit the number of people interacting with one another, wearing gloves at all times, and frequent handwashing and sanitizing of surfaces.