2 weeks Ago By Ingrid Harbo
MOORHEAD — Over the last five years, a place that some community members turned to for support and connection has transformed into somewhere they support others. Since 1998, people with mental illness have been coming to A Place For Hope: Recovery and Wellness Center to connect with others over activities, outings and peer support. But in 2020, the organization started operating a food pantry, at which many of its members now volunteer.
For the organization’s members, volunteering with the food pantry has helped reduce the stigma around having a mental illness, Executive Director Darrell Vasvick said. “People on the mental health side didn’t want people to know they had mental illnesses,” Vasvick said. “There was still a stigma, but it’s really lifted and the food shelf has helped that, because so many of our members are down there volunteering.
” A Place For Hope received the MoorHeart award in April for serving people with mental illness, providing resources and fostering a sense of community in Moorhead. Vasvick accepted the award during the Moorhead City Council meeting on Monday, April 14. According to the city of Moorhead, it gives the award to recognize people and organizations that go “above and beyond to demonstrate community” in the city.
Patricia Pemble nominated A Place For Hope, saying she visits the center with people she works with as a supportive housing services employee. “Their food pantry has truly been a lifeline for so many, providing essential resources and a welcoming space when it’s needed most,” Pemble wrote. Last year, A Place For Hope gave out 556,000 pounds of food to about 12,000 families, or 30,000 individuals, Vasvick said.
Before the food pantry opened in 2020, the organization served solely as a place for its members to explore hobbies, learn skills and build a supportive community. To be a member of the center, people must be adults, residents of Clay County and be formally diagnosed with a mental illness. Members come to the center to connect over arts and crafts, go on outings like fishing trips and eat meals together.
For member Renee Backlund, volunteering and activities at A Place For Hope are a way to socialize. “Rather than sitting at home all day, I’ve got to get out,” Backlund said. Member Theresa Rosell comes to A Place For Hope most days it is open and enjoys the fishing trips, visiting with others and playing games, especially pinochle.
“We do that whenever we can,” she said. She also volunteers in the food pantry, helping sort and pack food and assisting with paperwork. “I always figure if I could help somebody, that was always good for me and I’ve always enjoyed volunteering,” Rosell said.
Vasvick began the food pantry during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At first, A Place For Hope members could walk through to get food. Since then, the operation has grown to serve the whole community.
The Great Plains Food Bank drops off food at the center, and volunteers organize the pallets of food onto shelves of produce, meats and pantry staples. The food shelf has multiple fridges and walk-in freezers for cold and frozen items. A Place For Hope’s expansion into a food pantry has not been without challenges.
Vasvick said the organization would like to hire a food manager, but does not have the funds. It is also raising $16,000 to install another walk-in cooler. On top of the growing pains, the amount of food the organization is receiving is decreasing, while the number of people lining up for food is increasing.
The Great Plains Food Bank, which supplies most of the food, has been impacted by federal government spending cuts. A Place For Hope has spots for 32 families to come through the food pantry each day but is seeing between 65 and 70 families, Vasvick said. The organization tries to balance being fair to people who signed up to receive food weeks in advance with last-minute requests.
Vasvick credits the members who volunteer and outside volunteers with keeping the food pantry running. Last year, the organization had around 30 volunteers who worked 11,500 volunteer hours. Around half of the volunteer hours are served by members, Vasvick said.
“We would not be open if it wasn’t for our volunteers,” he said..
