The Vermont Foodbank and Vermont National Guard are adding an additional distribution of “meals ready to eat,” or MREs, on Friday, May 8, at Allen Brook School in Williston, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This follows six other events to distribute the meals, provided by FEMA, that have taken place over the past two weeks. In total, 500,000 meals have been distributed.
The meal distributions are a part of an effort to meet the increasing need for food assistance amid the coronavirus crisis. There has been a significant rise in the number of people seeking help accessing food, the Vermont Foodbank reported.
“Food is a critical part of maintaining good health,” Vermont Foodbank CEO John Sayles said. “The pandemic is making it increasingly difficult for many of us to access the nutritious food we all need. All are welcome to come pick up MREs so that everyone has enough food during this difficult time. We are all in this together.”
Those who are ill and in quarantine and those who lack transportation can send a friend or relative to pick up meals for them, the foodbank said. Those picking up food can come to the location nearest to them, open their trunk, and the appropriate amount of food will be loaded by members of the Guard. The National Guard requests that people make sure they have adequate space in their car to accommodate the boxes of food, and ask people not to bring pets to meal distribution sites.
— Sarah Asch
Correction: This brief has been updated to clarify that 500,000 meals have been distributed.
