COEUR d’ALENE — A cooperative effort between Super 1 Foods, Charlie’s Produce and FirstFruits Farm provided over 3,000 pounds of freshly bagged, and much-needed Granny Smith apples to the Community Action Partnership Coeur d’Alene food bank.

“The 3-pound bags are nice for the foodbank,” said Charlie’s Produce sales manager Tim Hendricks. “They are easy to just hand out to customers.”

Darrell Rickard, food bank manager for Community Action Partnership, was onsite at Super 1 on Kathleen Avenue on Thursday morning. The two pallets of apples will be distributed in Coeur d’Alene and to surrounding areas the organization serves, he said.

This is the eighth year Charlie’s, and Super 1 have participated in the program, founded by FirstFruits Marketing over 12 years ago.

“The program is set up during January through March for our retail partners to purchase fruit from our farm,” said Aimee Bach, business development manager for FirstFruits. “And in return we will donate a percentage of fresh apples to an organization of their choice, in their name.”

Super 1 owner Ron McIntire chose to donate to the Community Action Partnership. Eighty-five-year-old McIntire shows up to the office every single day, said Alan Bradetich, produce manager for Super 1.

“He does stuff for the community all the time,” Bradetich said. “He’s a really busy guy.”

With food banks experiencing supply chain shortages and staffing issues as many businesses are, quality donations like this one couldn’t have come at a better time.

“With the shortage of food on many pantry shelves I know the food banks across the area will be very appreciative,” Rickard said. “Fresh fruits and vegetables are always needed to help distribute nutritious food to those in need.”

FirstFruits Farm is located in Prescott, Wash. Its 10,000 acres produce 6.5 million pounds of apples and cherries annually. Through its aptly named “Take a Bite Out of Hunger” program, it distributes donations of fresh produce to communities across the Inland Northwest region.

“Right now all the food banks are struggling. There is tighter distribution especially of anything fresh,” Hendricks said. “Adding fresh produce is going to give people more variety. Food banks need the help now, more than ever.”