Comtrea is partnering with the St. Louis Area Food Bank to hold “no-contact” Food Drive-Thru events, providing local people in need with free groceries during the coronavirus pandemic.
The first event was held Wednesday (April 15), and two more are planned.
On Wednesday, the distribution was held at the South Second Street parking lot behind Main Street near Mill Street in Festus, and it drew crowds well beyond expectations, said Rachael Bersdale, Comtrea’s chief behavioral health officer.
“There were at least 175 vehicles,” she said. “There were some (with) multiple families in the vehicles.”
Bersdale said about 100 families were expected to show up at the event.
The food distribution was supposed to run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but began early and ended early, she said.
“People started lining up before 8 a.m. We opened up at 10:30 a.m. because people were lined up (on South Second Street) all the way to Hwy. 61-67,” Bersdale said. “We had given out all the food and cleaned up by 12:15 p.m.”
Not all who lined up were able to receive food before it all was distributed, she said.
Those who arrived were told to stay in their vehicles and pop open their trunks so Comtrea staff could put the food inside without contact with people.
The St. Louis Area Food Bank supplied the food.
“We had apples, raspberries, frozen onion rings, yogurt, kiwis, milk, honeydews and potatoes (which most people received),” Bersdale said. “We had some French onion dip and a little bit of cottage cheese and some heavy cream. We got four huge bags of chocolate ice cream. We gave those to families with many kids.
“Probably, the last 20 cars got reduced portions. We gave out everything we had.”
Comtrea plans to hold two more food distributions over the next two Wednesdays, again from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until food supplies run out.
On April 22, the Food Drive-Thru is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Comtrea Arnold location, 21 Municipal Drive. On April 29, it probably will return to the South Second Street parking lot in Festus.
However, Bersdale said both the times and the locations for the distributions are subject to change.
“We’re going to look for other locations because of the long lines,” she said. “I think this really speaks to the amount of need that people have right now.”
Bersdale said the events are open to anyone in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
“There will be essentially no contact. There’s no paperwork required,” she said.
Those who come for food are asked to arrive with their trunks cleaned out. Only those in vehicles may participate; no “walk-ins” will be allowed in order to maintain social distancing.
Bersdale said it was the first time in memory for Comtrea to sponsor a community food distribution.
“We have not done this, I would say, in the last 10-plus years,” she said. “We are doing this in relation to the coronavirus epidemic.”
Bersdale said Comtrea may hold even more food distributions than the two already scheduled if the need persists.
“We’ll play it by ear and see what the community need is,” she said.
For more information, visit the Comtrea Facebook page or call Comtrea at 1-877-266-8732.
