Through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program, McLean County has organized four food truck deliveries with about $185,000 worth of food distributed to those in need, according to McLean County Judge-Executive Curtis Dame.
Dame said he hopes to have at least two more truck deliveries in the near future.
“We’re looking at hopefully doing at least two more if I can get the help to do it … We’ve been blessed to have a lot of really good volunteers that have helped,” he said. “It’s been very well-received.”
The first two deliveries were just fruits and vegetables, but the most recent two have had other items as well, Dame said, including dairy products, hot dogs and chicken nuggets.
Depending on what arrives in the boxes, he said they have been valued between from $28 to $51 per box.
“Those boxes that we give to each family, that helps to alleviate that cost, hopefully to where it will help them in other areas of their livelihood,” Dame said.
With the most recent food box delivery, Island resident Vicki Ventura shared a recipe on social media that would incorporate many of the vegetables in the box, specifically eggplant.
Dame said the extension office is also a great resource in the county to help provide healthy recipes through its nutrition program that could help to incorporate ingredients that some might not have used before.
“Next time we get a box, once we figure out what is in the box, we’re going to try to put those recipes out on social media, that way people can utilize fully what’s in them. We hope that they can get the full benefit,” he said.
Dame said he hopes to have another truck delivery before Christmas.
Christie Netherton, Messenger-Inquirer, 270-691-7360
