Caribou County Food Bank Feeds Community

Every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. community members can “shop” at the Caribou County Community Food Bank at the SEICAA building for needed food, cleaning supplies, and personal care items.  In order to qualify for the assistance, those who are interested need to contact 

Tracy Schumacher at 208-547-4257 to determine whether they qualify.  Those who do qualify will find a warm and inviting community of supportive and caring individuals who are devoted to providing a system of support, as well as a gathering place.  “Only two shoppers are in the Bank at a time, so while the others wait, it’s usually a nice time chatting and catching up for them.  Sometimes it’s like a small social club,” volunteer Marilyn Kukachka says.

Indeed, the Food Bank is entirely a community effort, staffed and managed by members of the Beta Sigma Phi service organization.  BSP is a non-collegiate national group, whose chapter members focus on community service.  “Everything here is donated by people in the community, and sometimes the plants and local businesses.  It’s not like we have any government grants,” member Kaye Moore adds.  

While some of the process has changed over the years (for instance, the Boy Scout Scouting for Food program is no longer a major part of food collection as a result of its separation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), there is still a robust level of support from the community.  The current Scout organization headed by Wendi Young is still involved, for instance, as are many local businesses and industries.  “People still are so generous, we haven’t had a problem.  They give us food and monetary donations so that we can go shop,” Ann Hamm explains.  “Oh, and the grocery stores always have some kind of program going on.”  Lallatins and the Dollar store were responsible for large donations of paper towels and toilet paper that are stacked against the wall, as one example.

“During COVID, I think people were especially thoughtful,” Kukachka says.  “They were so worried that people would be food insecure in our area.  I was impressed.  It made me feel good about the people
around here.”

The county provides the building and the utilities for the location, and SEICAA is part of the administrative wing of the Bank.  SEICAA also provides a number of other services to the community, such as weatherization, energy assistance, housing assistance, and so on.  “The do a big golf tournament, Project Warmth,” Kaye adds.

The Idaho Food Bank is also present in the community, Kaye explains.  Kaye: “They come once a month on the third Thursday at about 10 a.m. to the EMS building behind Sanders.  People are given a box of stuff—no one gets to choose.  A lot of times they have items left over that they bring here.”  

“That’s where the raisins came from, I think,” Ann says.  “And the pears,” adds Marilyn.

Tigert Middle School also has a Food Assistance program, products.  “They’re open from 4-6  on the second and fourth Tuesday, and you don’t have to qualify there, you can just show up.  It’s something that the school just decided to do.”

Donations also come from some unexpected sources.  One of the room’s large freezers, for instance, is currently full of beef.  “A bull was injured, and it got turned into a freezer full of meat.  Someone locally who raises it—that’s where it came from,”  Ann explains.  

Despite the encouragingly active support around the community, the group is clear to stress that there is always a need, though some things are not the specific purview of the Food Bank.  “We do have coats here, but we are NOT SET UP to take things like toys, clothes, and those kinds of items,” Marilyn says.  “Sometimes people will leave the stuff like that outside, and then we take it over to the thrift store,” Rosli Gier adds.

“For food items, if anyone is going to leave a donation, don’t just leave it at the door if no one is here, especially not the perishable items,”
Kaye says.

Food is the most obvious concern of the Bank, but Ann explains that what is actually most needed are personal items.  “A lot of things that we don’t have are cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items—shampoos, conditioners—those are things that when we have money available we can go buy ourselves.  Those things go pretty fast”

As Rosli explains, “Many people have food stamps, but they are not able to use them for those kinds of personal items.  Those things tend to go quickly, paper towels, laundry soap, cleaning products.” 

Donations to the Food Bank tend to be heaviest during the winter months around the holidays, which is typical at donation centers across the country.  Often those donations slow during the warmer weather.  “Our shelves—there are some empty spots.  We don’t have a big surplus.”

While donations may be less consistent during the summer months, the needs among those who use the Bank are not.  Most qualifying participants are able to use the Food Bank every two weeks, “But if they’re desperate they can call us.  It’s a good place to shop for food the insecure,” Kaye says.

The group explains that most of their clientele are middle aged and older, so there isn’t a large need for baby food or items.  Those items are generally covered through the WIC program, which is not always available to those in need who do not have young children.  For their primary customers, “We always need canned food, like stew with a bit of meat in it.  A meal in a can sort of stuff,”
Marilyn says.

For seniors, the Caribou Senior Center has its own resources for assistance, though the two groups sometimes coordinate on specific instances.  Otherwise, the Food Bank tends to fill those needs that exist between young families and seniors.  There are between five and twenty households on Wednesdays, with an average of around twelve to thirteen a week.  “We’re always glad to we have stuff to give away that people need,” Rosli says.  “It’s a generous community.”  

The Food Bank will continue to fill its unique and much needed role within the community into the foreseeable future.  “Very few food banks are around where you can push a cart,” Marilyn says.  “Many banks don’t have space or manpower, and we’re glad that we do.”  Other members of the BSP include Sandy Rawlins, Jeri Sturm, and Gloria Erickson.

The national organization also undertakes service projects.  “Up until just last year, we used to clean a section of highway.  But we don’t have the people who can pick things up like that right now…”   The group is looking for a new project to highway cleanup.  They do donate to other projects and organizations around town, but will take on a new project once they find the right one.

Beta Sigma Phi was started in the 30s as a community organization to people a way to help the community.  “Way before my time, people would get dressed up, and they’d go to listen to lectures and have formal meetings,” Marilyn explains.  

For information on joining, volunteering, or donating, Marilyn Kukachka can be reached at
208-540-0763.