BROOKINGS – The Helpline Center recently announced that the volunteers of The Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains food distribution has been named the September 2020 Volunteers of the Month, an area-wide award program sponsored by the Helpline Center and First Bank and Trust.

Tim Lease, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the North Plains, said, “We are grateful to have this opportunity to help those in our community that need us most. Also, we appreciate how so many volunteers have helped out with the food distribution.”

Individuals have volunteered their time each Monday along with the following businesses and organizations:

• Salvation Army

• Brookings Area Habitat for Humanity

• Brookings Behavioral Health and Wellness

• Children’s Museum of South Dakota

• Boys & Girls Club of Brookings board members and staff

• Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program

• Bobcat of Brookings, Inc. – donated the use of a Bobcat to unload the food from the truck each week.

• Runnings and Hy-Vee – provided bags for donated sweet corn

• Corteva Agriscience – donated a truckload of sweet corn

In July, the Boys & Girls Club was contacted about receiving the food truck once a week for Brookings County. They stepped up to the plate and took on this opportunity with helpful hands and hearts. 

Each week throughout August, they handed out close to 480 boxes of food, three to each family that comes through the drive-through distribution. Volunteers helped to unload the truck filled with food and then to load it into the cars of those who needed it.

The food distribution came at a time when some may need additional assistance the most. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have been affected. Receiving help to put food on the table each week was a blessing for many members of the Brookings community.

For information on volunteer opportunities or the Volunteer of the Month program, contact Allison Schmitt at bkvol@helplinecenter.org or call 211 for more information.