New routine, same outcome: Food for needy at Trinity

They’ve been forced to switch up their routine slightly, but members of Trinity Lutheran Church are still providing food for area families through the coronavirus crisis.
Trinity operates Husky Pantry and Wildcat Pantry, both opportunities to feed area families in need. Nancy Keller is the coordinator of the food programs.
During the COVID-19 crisis, the way Trinity is packing and distributing foods has changed.
With the church and area schools being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Keller has been forced to switch up their delivery system. Families now pull up to the church for curbside delivery instead of church members delivering to the schools. She said it has been working out pretty well for all those involved.
The curbside delivery method has forced volunteers to have less interaction with families. “Now it feels like we should talk to them and have a conversation to see how they are doing,” Keller said.
About 50 area families are recipients of the food, according to Keller. Three pick-up times on Monday, Wednesday and Friday are offered each week. There are as many as 30 volunteers involved with distributing the food.
The goal of the program is to provide families with ingredients for a family meal and staples for breakfast and lunch to feed families in need over the weekend, Keller said. Once families pull up to the curb, volunteers load them up with food for the weekend. “We try to have extra things on the cart for them to take,” she pointed out. “We are trying to provide them with healthy foods,” she added.
“There are young people who lack even the security of a place to stay and aren’t certain of where their next meal might from from,” Keller said. “It’s a sign of the brokenness of our world.”
Trinity believes God is calling members to do something about this. The church has the call, the will and the resources to step into this issue and to make God’s kingdom more of a reality in the Owatonna area.
Keller said she has noticed a significant increase since the first program began about six years ago. “The needs are not going to go away,” she said. “They are going to grow.”
The food programs, Keller said, are mostly funded by cash donations from Trinity members. “I’ve been amazed and blessed by the donations we’ve gotten,” she said. “It makes a huge difference. This is an important ministry we do.”
Trinity also offers Meals of Hope, which is a hot quality meal once a week for anyone who is at a point in their life where food or fellowship is hard to come by. With the current pandemic, the meals are provided from 5-6 p.m. on Sundays. The meals are delivered to your vehicle.
Anyone wanting more information about any of the programs can contact Trinity at 507-451-4520.