Community Foods Matter holds community food drive at Potato Fest

While the 19th annual Potato Festival was being celebrated, Community Food Matters was busy collecting non-perishable food items.

The group was in attendance on day two of the festival, where they collected donations to help pantries around the city. Dawn Froese, chair of Community Food Matters, says this was their third food drive, but their first one at this particular event.

"We didn't get tons and tons of food, but that's OK," explains Froese. "We know it was the first time we've tried this, but we've got enough. We're going to put some in the little pantry on 8th Street and I think that should fill it up."

They received 36 food items from the drive.

Community Food Matters is a group of non-profit organizations who've come together to help people have access to sustainable food sources. Froese joined the group with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Plains, where she works as executive director.

She says, while the group was started by different non-profits, anyone in the community can join.

"Just give us a call at Big Brothers Big Sisters," notes Froese. "We usually meet once a month or once every few months, depending on what projects we're working on, and everybody's welcome."

Community Food Matters has two pantries in the city, one by Red River College, and the other by Northside Market.

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