JOHN DAY — Tom Sutton wants people to know that the Grant County Food Bank is here to help if they find themselves in need of food this holiday season.

Normally open on the fourth Wednesday of the month, the establishment shifts its distribution days to the third Wednesday in November and December in order to get food to families before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meals.

Sutton said that the food bank typically sees its largest influx of customers during the holiday season, stretching from November to January.

“I think that people spend a lot of money for Christmas and then in December and January we generally, traditionally have a large number of people come to the food bank,” he said.

While the food bank isn’t in dire financial straits, an increase in the number of people seeking assistance is straining its resources, Sutton said. Adding to that strain are rising food and transportation costs.

High inflation means the food bank’s dollars are carrying less purchasing power than they have in the past, which means the food bank is getting less food for its money, a circumstance that trickles down to the people it serves.

For the last few years, the food bank was getting a big break on transportation costs. John Day Mayor Ron Lundbom, who until recently owned the local NAPA Auto Parts store, was driving his own vehicle to La Grande to pick up food for the food bank at no charge.

“For the two or three years that Ron Lundbom drove over in his own rig and helped us get the food back to John Day at no cost to us, he saved us about $400 a month,” Sutton said.

Lundbom’s sale of NAPA Auto Parts left him unable to continue to provide that service. Now, Sutton says, the food bank is back to footing the bill to rent and fuel a U-Haul truck for the monthly round trip to La Grande and back.

Operating costs for the food bank are typically around $2,000 a month when rent, utilities and food costs are all added up, according to Sutton. The food bank typically spends another $1,000 a month on food to supplement what it gets from the Oregon Food Bank, although Sutton said he and everyone else at the food bank are “pretty conservative” when it comes to purchasing food.

“We buy the basic food groups,” he said. “We think you have to have bread, we think you have to have peanut butter and spaghetti and pinto beans.”

The food bank also tries to give out two types of fruit and two kinds of soup to families, but Sutton said they can’t get enough of those products.

Food distribution is based on family size, with larger families receiving more food.

Shortages of certain food products generally means everybody gets less than they normally would to ensure that everybody gets a little bit of everything.

Another thing the food bank is short on is rice. In fact, at the moment the facility doesn’t have any.

Sutton said in all his years of volunteering for the food bank, he’s never seen it run out of rice until now. The lack of rice is a stark change from past years, when the food bank would sometimes ask to not be sent any more rice according to Sutton.

Despite these concerns, the food bank still continues to serve Grant County. From the beginning of the year until now, Sutton said, the food bank has distributed food to more than 1,500 families throughout Grant County.

Sutton’s message is simple: If you’re in need, come to the food bank.

“People need to come on down because we’re friendly to everybody,” he said.

Sutton also stressed that the goal of the food bank is to get people the food they need to make it through the month and that his organization isn’t concerned about who uses the service. Anyone who feels apprehensive or embarrassed can ask a third party to pick up their food box.

Anybody looking to donate to the food bank is encouraged to contribute canned goods like peaches, fruit cocktail, beans, soup or vegetables. A case of canned goods costs less than $20, according to Sutton, and will go a long ways toward helping the establishment make its distribution goals.

Sutton asks that specialty items aren’t purchased because they’re hard to distribute. Think tomato soup, chicken noodle soup and the like.

Individuals looking to donate money can mail a check to the Grant County Food Bank at 530 E. Main St., Suite 9, John Day, OR 97845. Sutton encourages those who want to donate cash to come to the food bank and donate in person so the money can be counted and recorded as a donation.

The Grant County Food Bank will be open and distributing food on Wednesday, Dec. 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHAT: Grant County Food Bank

WHERE: 530 E. Main St., Suite 9, John Day

WHEN: Normal hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month, but this month it will be open on the third Wednesday, Dec. 21

PHONE: 541-575-0299

ETC.: The food bank accepts donations of canned goods and cash; call for details