SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — The Family Intercultural Resource Center in Summit County is used to seeing a rush on their food bank but not usually in March when the resort community and the people working are busy with big spring break crowds.
This March is different.
Jonnah Glassman heads up the pantry where families in need stop by twice a week to pick up groceries but after ski areas in Colorado and most businesses in Summit County closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 she says the number of people needing food doubled in one day.
“We usually support about 20 to 30 people in our Silverthorne location two days a week, today we helped 54 families which is about 150 people,” said Glassman.
Due to the virus the pantry is closed to the public, but people can use a new drive through system to keep workers separated from those people stopping by,
“We’re just having people drive through,” said Glassman. "We ask them not to leave their cars and we're putting food in their car.”
That same precaution is why instead of food the food bank is asking that if people want to help to donate online, keeping with social distancing but giving the group money to buy the supplies they need to keep the pantry stocked.
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It’s food that’s going to be needed for months to come in the resort community.
With so many business’s closed for weeks to come people won’t have jobs or money not only during a normally busy time but into May and early June when things usually slow down during the shoulder season
“It’s going to require the community to come together, said Glassman, “and help each other out during this time.”
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