Moscow Food Bank, beacon of faith, hope and love, feeds thousands

Food Bank volunteers (left to right) Nancy Ruth Peterson, Susan Roberts, Jerri Parce, Pam Wimer, and Karen Herrenbruck help keep the aid agency running. (Courtesy Photos/Lisa Ormond)

By Lisa Ormond

for the ICR

The Moscow Food Bank, located on the grounds of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Moscow, has served the greater Latah County community for 43 years.

Last year, the food bank provided food to over 21,000 people, a 27% increase over 2022. In 2024, the trend looks likely to continue as the Moscow agency has already served more than 13,000 Latah County residents.

Fr. Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM, Pastor of St. Mary’s Church, highlighted the spiritual importance of the Moscow Food Bank. “I would like us to call to mind that charity is the hallmark of the Church’s mission. Jesus left us an example in Himself, as He was always addressing the basic and most pressing need of the people in His time. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and spoke for the voiceless.”

Humble Beginnings

The St. Mary’s Catholic Women’s League (CWL) founded the food bank, housed in a small storage closet in the parish center. Initially, the agency was named after the Parish: St. Mary’s Food Bank. Later, it was changed to represent the greater Moscow area and to reduce confusion because there was another church in town named St. Mary’s.

“We are grateful to the Catholic Women’s League through whose initiative the food bank was established,” Onyemachi said. “We are most grateful to all the donors to the food bank, living and dead. May God bless you all.”

Quickly, the CWL outgrew its humble closet space and needed to expand to serve the growing numbers of people coming to the church for food. The Moscow Food Bank has moved three times during the last four decades and has operated from its multi-purpose building next to St. Mary’s Church since 2021, when Bishop Peter Christensen blessed the building. Parishioners of St. Mary’s provided most of the funds needed to acquire the space.

Over the years, a longstanding partnership between St. Mary’s parish, private citizens, area churches, businesses, service organizations, schools and grocery stores has maintained an unwavering commitment to meeting the basic needs of their neighbors—to ensure that everyone in need has food to eat.

Linda Nickels has overseen the daily management of the Moscow Food Bank for over 30 years.

Linda Nickels

Linda Nickels has served as the food bank director since 1993. “Really, the success of a food bank is relationships,” Nickels emphasized. “From your donors to your volunteers to your customers—all of them have to trust you and believe in your credibility.”

For Nickels, what mattered most was that her customers received nourishment and acceptance at the food bank.

“When people come to the food bank, they don’t know what to expect. It is a hard thing, and often there are tears,” Nickels said. “We give them a comfort area, a place to feel welcomed. We treat every person with dignity. I like that they are not judged, and they can come here just like going to the local grocery store.”

Moscow Food Bank Volunteer Connie Esser calls Nickels a “wonder woman” and says people have “no idea what the back story” is to the food bank—just how much Nickels has given to this ministry as a volunteer over thirty years. She’d start her day at 5:30 a.m. in the morning and end at about 7 p.m. in the evening, five days a week, receiving no pay, but rewards of a different kind.”

“Linda did all the food shopping and picking up food from the local grocery stores five times a week, including lifting 50-pound boxes on her own,” Esser said. “She also did the bookkeeping and accounting, wrote thank you notes, greeted customers, and the list goes on. Many times, I’ve seen her deliver food to people at their homes even—she is just remarkable.”

Esser said Nickels was why she started helping at the food bank six years ago. “I got involved because I met her and she was amazing, and I wanted to help her.”

A Generous Community Keeps Giving

Nickels believes the Moscow Food Bank is truly blessed because there are more and more mouths to feed, but the food keeps coming in. “Thank God,” said Nickels. “I’ve never begged for money, and we’ve always had enough.”

Commenting on the necessity of the community, Nickels said, “You must have something behind you to make a food bank work. We have always had the church’s support and sponsorship. A steady stream of money and food donations, along with a dependable flow of volunteers and general helpers, keep it open and serving those in need.”

“We hear all the time from our customers that the combination of higher rent, increased food costs, and rising gas prices are reasons why they need the food bank more than ever,” said Nickels. “Generally, cost of living goes up, but wages do not.”

Nickels says that since COVID, the number of people coming to their current 700-square-foot location has “gone through the roof.” She shared that plans are in the works to redesign the house next door to add freezer and storage space, among other improvements. Again, St. Mary’s Church is spearheading this expansion effort to help meet the ever-growing community’s need for food.

The Customer and How It Works

Nickels said it’s a myth that those who come to food banks are generally retirees and students. The Moscow Food Bank demographic data shows that 51% are Latah County residents between the ages of 18 and 59, followed by 36% in the age group between newborn and 18.

“Most are working parents in service industry jobs,” said Nickels. “When you come, you don’t have to show financial need. We need an address and how many are in the family so we can tailor the food to give them.”

When customers arrive, they can choose from a list of perishable and non-perishable food items—some items are given weekly and others once monthly. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available, as well as meat, eggs, and sandwich meats. The food bank is open for two hours every afternoon, Tuesday through Friday. It closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Most of the food is donated by private citizens and local grocery stores or bought with monetary donations. Moscow area grocery stores, including Rosauers, WinCo, Safeway, and Walmart, donate “tons of food” every week, said Nickels. To fill gaps, food is purchased locally by volunteers and online from the Idaho Food Bank in Lewiston.

“In 1993, we saw about five people weekly. Last year, we averaged about 422,” said Nickels. “And we’ve never closed our doors, not even during COVID.”

Volunteers are critical in operating the food bank during business hours, and there is a total of about 40 who are mostly retirees. “Two of my volunteers have been with me over 20 years,” Nickels explained. “We couldn’t do it without them.”

Looking Forward to the Future

According to Nickels, she is now focusing her energies on the successful transition of the Moscow Food Bank from her hands to that of the five-member leadership team that will oversee the ministry going forward.

“Last fall, I received a nudge from God, and He said, ‘Knock it off, girl. Enough is enough!” She took this message to heart for her health’s sake and began to imagine and shift to a life where the food bank wasn’t her daily focus.

Nickels, now 83, admits it’s difficult to let go because she devoted the last third of her life to feeding others. She is confident in the transition that is happening and those who are taking over the ministry. “They are all way younger than I am,” she said with a laugh.

The team of five who are taking the reins are longtime friends, volunteers, and supporters of Nickels and the food bank, and are St. Mary’s parish members. They include Pam and Ed Wimer, Marie Kleffner, Connie Esser, and Bill Kerr.

Nickels noted this is a good time to make the change. “I’m a good resource person for them right now, and I’m basically in and out as needed.”

When asked about her future plans Nickels said, “I will find me a new direction; I’m not worried.” She added, “I told myself you have an angel looking after you—and it takes good care of you. I have faith there is a plan. I just need to be patient to see what the Lord has in mind.”

When asked to recall her fondest memory she replied without hesitation, “We never ran out of food.”

Volunteers Nancy Ruth Peterson and Jerri Parce fill an order for food. Last year over 21,000 people received food items from the Moscow Food Bank.