A food assistance program is slated to start soon for Starke County residents.
The Starke County Commissioners discussed the program this week in two separate meetings. A task force was able to meet Tuesday and make decisions concerning the process which was delivered to the governing body on Wednesday morning.
A survey recently conducted by the Constellation of Starke Executive Team found that food delivery to quarantined residents and high-risk individuals was a high priority in the use of funds in response to COVID-19.
The county is applying for OCRA funds up to $250,000 to sustain the program to assist residents with obtaining food supplies during this pandemic. A form will be uploaded to the county’s website at www.co.starke.in.us that can be accessed by residents. It will ask basic information about the person in need and offer two selections of essential groceries, or hot food items from local restaurants. The food will then be delivered to the resident’s home.
If residents are unable to access the online form, officials at the Starke County Clerk’s Office and the Starke County Auditor’s Office can assist by phone.
The food will be offered at no cost to residents in need.
The program will be open to all Starke County residents who otherwise cannot afford food items as a result of COVID-19 or who are quarantined.
The start date of the program is still undecided at this time, but that information will be released as soon as it is available.
If the county is not successful in obtaining an OCRA grant for the program, the county can utilize a grant from the Starke County Community Foundation in the amount of $125,000 to get the program off the ground, if awarded. If those funds aren’t available, the commissioners authorized about $100,000 out of the county’s CEDIT Fund for the program.
The commissioners are concerned about the residents who are affected by layoffs and unemployment due to the health pandemic and want to help as much as possible. This also gives local restaurants an economic boost during this uncertain time.
A public hearing for OCRA funding is set for Monday, May 11 at 9 a.m. CT on an online Zoom meeting platform. A link to join that meeting will be shared when it is developed.
