<\/a>The Southeast Alaska Food Bank, shown here on Feb. 18, 2021 is partnered with dozens of agencies in the Southeast to supply food to their organizations. (Michael S. Lockett \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Demands of times<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t COVID-19 precautions have also decreased flexibility and increased staffing demands.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “When COVID first started, we used to have our pantry where people could file through the building and people could take what they needed. We changed it to pre-boxing of items and handing them out at front. We did that for a while,” Schapp said. “At some point, down the road somewhere, when we go back to a sense of normalcy, we’ll go back to having people file through so we don’t have the demand for pre-boxing.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Southeast Alaska Food Bank and Helping Hands both rely heavily on volunteers to assist in preparing and arranging food for pickup at their locations. Helping Hands has over 15 people that volunteer over the week, Fortwengler said, and Southeast Alaska Food Bank has dozens of volunteers in addition to two full-time staff, Schapp said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “We are all volunteers. No one in our organization gets paid for anything. We give the food for free,” Fortwengler said. “We’re focused on our community. We concentrate on the people in the community.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Local organizations, including stores like Fred Meyer and IGA grocery stores, are instrumental in keeping the banks supplied, Schapp said. Other organizations have donated money to keep the bank running, including Hecla Greens Creek Mine, Petro Marine, and the Juneau Community Foundation, Schapp said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “We’ve had some really nice generous donations from local businesses. A lot of local businesses have stepped up and made sure we’re taken care of,” Schapp said. “We buy between $5,000 and $8,000 worth of food from local supermarkets each month to keep our shelves full.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Southeast Alaska Food Bank has been around since the ‘90s, according their website, and Helping Hands has been around even longer, Fortwengler said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “We started in a garage in 1983. I think we were the first food bank in Juneau, if i’m not mistaken,” Fortwengler said. “It’s been going for a long time. It’s been going with volunteer power and it’s been going with fundraising.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t