WALLACE — In a small community such as the Silver Valley, it’s a necessity for local groups to support other local groups when they can. The Wallace Rotary Club is one of the most recent examples of this.

Last week, Wallace Rotary President-elect Alan Williams presented members of the Wallace Food Bank a check for $350 to support their efforts of supplying food to those in need.

Specifically, this money will be allocated to one of the most popular ways the community has helped the food bank in the past — by purchasing pre-made food bags from either Harvest Foods in Wallace or Stein’s in Osburn.

How it works is staff at these stores assemble the bags with items the food bank considers to be “staples” and leaves the bags out for customers to purchase. Purchased bags are then set aside to be collected by the food bank at a later time and used to refill their inventory.

On top of the food bags, the money will also go toward paying for meal vouchers at Harvest Foods.

“Typically what people have used it for in the past is for perishable items … such as hamburger, milk, eggs,” explained store owner Jeff McLeod.

Having the vouchers allows people to still have a choice when they need help getting a meal.

Williams said that the Rotary made this (and other) donations to the food bank to help support a local organization that gives back.

“We’re part of the community and there is a need,” he said. “The food bank is one of those viable programs that has value here in the community to help people.”

The Wallace Rotary has contributed more than $1,000 this year to the Wallace Food Bank to support their efforts. All that money comes from a fund the Rotary has that also goes toward other community causes, such as scholarships for local students.

“We’re interested in what we can do for Wallace. All of the money we raise goes back to the community,” Williams said.

The Wallace Food Bank distributes food every two weeks — on the first Thursday of the month at United Methodist Church in Wallace and on the third Thursday of the month at Grace Evangelical Free Church in Osburn.

If you need food or know someone who does, call 208-449-8858 and leave a message if no one answers.