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Gleaners distribution in Medora paused as fire department staffing and budgets shrink; United Way meeting to discuss options
Summary
The fire department said ongoing overtime and staffing cuts have forced the pause of a volunteer-supported Gleaners food distribution; the department received the tornado-siren repair grant but asked the council and community to consider alternate partners and a United Way meeting to explore a mobile pantry or Meals on Wheels.
The volunteer-supported Gleaners distribution that used to operate with fire-department help in Medora is pausing because overtime and manpower that enabled the effort are no longer available, the fire-department representative told the council.
The representative said he had relied on people from a work-release program and fire-department members to move 15—17 pallets (about 2,000 pounds) of food on distribution days; recent budget shortfalls and limits on overtime have removed that capacity. He said the program's future will be discussed at a United Way meeting and urged board members to attend.
The council discussed alternatives, including recruiting more volunteers, working with other nonprofits or exploring a mobile pantry or Meals on Wheels-type service. The representative noted the fire department has kept a community food pantry in front of the station and will move it to the new fire station.
The meeting also included a brief update that the town secured $1,510 in grants (an Owen Carr grant and an additional $510 from a community foundation) to repair the tornado-siren amplifiers; the representative said he will file paperwork to accept the funding.
What comes next: The representative encouraged attendance at the United Way meeting to shape future food-distribution plans; the town will move the small fire-station pantry into the new station and continue to explore partners and volunteer recruitment.
