BY KAREN BOSSICK

When Amber Balbas started seeing bustling Sun Valley begin to shutter as the coronavirus spread, the co-owner of SERVPRO of Wood River Valley and Magic Valley began wondering what she could do to help.

Her answer came as employees began sharing stories of families who were worried about where their next meal was coming from. Breadwinners had been laid off. Those in high-risk groups were fearful of going to the supermarkets. And some needed to stay home and self-isolate because they thought they might have the virus.

“I saw that the need for food was exploding and that it was needed most in Blaine County,” said Balbas.

So, the stay-at-home mother of two, also the Community Outreach Coordinator of  SERVPRO, began busying herself working to connect resources with needs.

It paid off big time on Friday when she and Sonya Haines of the United Way of South-Central Idaho were able to orchestrate the delivery of two tons of food, including 2,300 pounds of fresh produce, to The Hunger Coalition, which is grappling with a record demand for food.

A semi-trailer and a refrigerated truck owned by Robert Leitch Trucking of Buhl pulled into Bellevue Friday afternoon with cheese, canned meats, chili, rice, refried beans and baked beans, canned tomatoes and corn, baby food, fruits, vegetables and packages of salad.

Hunger Coalition volunteers, faced with more food than they’ve ever had to deal with at one time, scrambled to make room. They leaned on Mountain Rides to let them store pallets of food in their garage.

Clearwater Landscaping provided a forklift to unload and park food pallets. And Leitch agreed to leave his refrigerated truck outside the Hunger Coalition over the weekend to keep the produce fresh until families can pick up boxes of food Monday afternoon.

“We were able to buy some food from Costco and they donated, some as well. We needed so much food that we were having a hard time accessing it, a hard time getting it up here,” said Rachel Shinn, volunteer and program manager for The Hunger Coalition.

Typically, Hunger Coalition clients are able to peruse the warehouse to select what they want. But, as a precaution against spreading the virus, Hunger Coalition volunteers are now preparing boxes containing such foodstuffs as milk, eggs, peanut butter, produce and canned meat that they can hand off to families as they drive by in their cars.

“In February we handed out 617 boxes for the entire month. We provided food for 350 families this week alone and I expect the number to go up,” said Shinn. “We’re trying to build our capacity to store food. But everything’s happening so quickly it’s hard to keep up.”

United Way supports four food pantries in 11 counties plus Jackpot, Nev. They include Martha and Mary’s Food Pantry in Jerome, Mustard Seed in Twin Falls and The Hunger Coalition.

Balbas and Haines, the Resource Development Director at the United Way, have collaborated, collecting thousands of Clif Bars and other donations to deliver to seniors, the unemployed and those who have had to shutter their business.

“Costco is a huge partner of ours,” said Haines. “They call us up and say, ‘We’ve got donations. Do you have someone in need?’ And they will even hold items for us, which is not something all grocers do. Blaine County residents specifically love fresh fruits and vegetable so they donated that on Friday.”

SERVPRO is also a valuable partner, said Haines: “Because they’re Hazmat certified, they know how to handle the food safely. And they’re considered an essential business so they can deliver the food.”

Balbas said formula, especially for babies in foster care, is another big need.

“These needs happen every single day—we’re just being the facilitator,” she said. “And it’s incredible to see people coming together, figuring out the best way to get needs met. Particularly in a pandemic like we’re in now.

“Anybody can get the virus. It’s nobody’s fault. Nobody’s trying to spread it on purpose. We just have to ask ourselves: Are we going to be part of the problem or are we going to be kind and be part of the solution?”

Balbas says she hopes what she’s doing gives people a sense of hope.

“When this pandemic started, there was a lot of negativity. So many people are struggling right now. I’m hoping the work we’re doing to connect the dots to help people will help people become more positive.”

Right now, cash donations are more helpful than donations of food.

Donations can be made to www.thehungercoalition.org and www.unitedwayscid.org