15% of Southern Utah faces food insecurity. Here’s how you can help.

ST. GEORGE — The Utah Food Bank Southern Distribution Center estimates that 39,000 people in Southern Utah (Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, San Juan and Washington Counties) and one in five Southern Utah kids face food insecurity, meaning living without reliable access to affordable, nutritious food.

The Utah Food Bank is currently hosting their annual “Holiday Food & Fund Drive” from October 15 to January 15, raising money and non-perishable foods to stock the shelves of the food bank and food pantries across the state.

But what happens when you donate to the food bank? How is your donation used? The Utah Food Bank Southern Distribution Center, located on River Road in St. George, gave Redrock Now a tour.

First, the Utah Food Bank functions as a middleman. They collect food and then pass it on to pantries and community organizations that help get the food to people in need. For example, Solomon’s Porch or Switchpoint in St. George.

Second, donations of canned goods are only a small part of all the food the food bank handles. The Utah Food Bank gets food from the government, donations via connections to larger organizations like Feeding America, donations from local businesses and entities, and has a grocery rescue program where they get food from local grocery stores that is near-expiration but not expired.

The food bank is able to get most of this food for a very low cost, or only the cost of transporting it away.

Third, this is why the food bank says they need three kinds of donations: Food, Time, and Money.

Most of the non-perishable food that is donated functions as a pantry filler, bases and staples for eating. These are absolutely necessary and make up about a quarter of the donations the Southern Distribution Center receives.

Donations of time come in the form of volunteer hours, one way the food bank helps keep costs low. Linda Trujillo, Director of the Southern Distribution Center, said the food bank is always in need of volunteers.

Finally, donations of money are used to operate facilities like the Southern Distribution Center as well as obtain food at a low price and transport the food to various pantries and warehouses around Southern Utah.

According to the Utah Food Bank, a $1 donation can be turned into almost $9 of goods and services.

Visit www.utahfoodbank.org for a list of locations where you can drop off food donations, sign up to volunteer, and make money donations. Any other questions can be asked directly to the St. George food bank branch by calling 435-656-9122.