LAGRANGE — For the 16th straight year, a truck from Miller Poultry backed in to the loading dock of the Clothes and Food Basket of LaGrange County Thursday morning and unloaded a gift of for local families in need this holiday season – two pallets loaded with boxes of frozen chicken and chicken sausage
In total the Orland-based company donated 9,000 pounds of chicken and 1,500 pounds of chicken sausage to the local food pantry this year, just one of the many ways the company gives back to the communities it serves and relies on, said Kevin Diehl, vice president of operations who made the trip to LaGrange and then helped unload those pallets. Diehl hoisted box after box from the pallet and carried them into the large freeze at the Clothes and Food Basket.
Millers’ trucks will be arriving at food pantries across northern Indiana this month, as well as food pantries in Ohio and Michigan, making similar donations. But the Miller connection to the LaGrange food pantry is special, said Richard Yoder, president of the Clothes and Food Basket in LaGrange. When Galen Miller, owner of Miller Poultry, started helping out local food pantries, the LaGrange pantry was the first pantry he contacted, and the first pantry where he made a large donation. Miller has since played a key role in the pantry’s growth.
LaGrange County plays a large role in the poultry firm. Hundreds of growers for the company call LaGrange County home.
Miller doesn’t just make donations to local food pantries during the holiday season. The company actually makes donations out all year long.
“It’s all part of the culture of giving started by Galen (Miller) so long ago,” Diehl said of the company’s founder and owner.
Yoder said the chicken donated to his organization will help area families long past the holidays. Two years ago, a similar-sized donation of chicken helped feed area families in need well into the spring.
This time of year, the Clothes and Food Basket opens its Christmas Bureau, an extension of the pantry that lets families “shop” for clothing and toys to help them through the holidays. Approximately 15 to 18 volunteers staff the not-for-profit organization each day it is open this time of year.
The number of people the pantry typically helps fell slight last year, but Yoder said that number is up this holiday season. Yoder said he expects to help at least 200 families this holiday season, up from about 130 last year.
The Clothes and Food Basket opened its Christmas Bureau on Nov. 29, and has been meeting with local families and handing out holiday food, clothing and toys. That program comes to an end Thursday.
As is its custom, the Clothes and Food Basket will shut down for a two-week holiday break starting on Dec. 17. The organization will reopen on Jan. 3, 2022.
While the Clothes and Food Basket is closed for the holidays, Yoder is asking patrons to not drop off donations of clothing and other items.
“Please don’t bring anything in. Don’t stack things in front of our building,” he said. “Let’s give our volunteers a few weeks vacation to rest over the holidays.”
