Mountrail County Promoter - Columnists

Government Shutdown Affects All
As I’m writing my column, the government shutdown has now reached day twenty-seven. I don’t particularly care which side anyone wants to blame anymore. The fact is that at some point, someone is going to have to come to the table with an honest intent to find a way to resolve the differences.
Families across this country are hurting with this shutdown and it is only going to get worse. There are people deemed essential that are working without the benefit of a paycheck. Others are furloughed, meaning they aren’t getting paid as well. As this continues, the future of benefits like SNAP are hanging in the balance as well. As of the time I’m writing my column, the word is that those benefits will not be funded on November 1.
There are so many families that rely on these benefits. These are in many cases working families who are just not making enough to make ends meet. They may also be those families that had just one unexpected large bill that sent them looking for a hand up during a difficult time.
One thing is for sure, if those benefits are not paid on November 1, food pantries and soup kitchens around this nation will be inundated with new clients that are facing challenges that others cannot begin to imagine.
We are blessed in Mountrail County to have the Mountrail Community Food Pantry in Stanley. This food pantry is open every Monday afternoon. I also know just how busy they have been before this shutdown. They are going to need our help.
Programs like the SACK program in Stanley Schools will also likely see an increase in need. They are going to need our help.
I saw this list on Facebook today while I was waiting to finish putting pages together. This is a great list for ideas of how to donate to either of those programs or a program in a community near you. I would also advocate that if you are able, donate money to those programs. That would allow them to go get the things they know their clients need.
Some tips for donating to food banks:
1. Everyone donates Kraft Mac and Cheese in the box. They can rarely use it because it needs milk and butter which is hard to get from regular food banks.
2. Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal which they also get a lot of.
3. Everyone donates pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles.
4. They cannot eat all the awesome canned veggies and soup unless you put a can opener in too or buy pop tops.
5. Oil is a luxury but needed for Rice a-Roni which they also get a lot of.
6. Spices or salt and pepper would be a real Christmas gift.
7. Tea bags and coffee make them feel like you care.
8. Sugar and flour are treats.
9. They fawn over fresh produce donated by farmers and grocery stores.
10. Seeds are cool in Spring and Summer because growing can be easy for some.
11. They rarely get fresh meat.
12. Tuna and crackers make a good lunch.
13. Hamburger Helper goes nowhere without ground beef.
14. They get lots of peanut butter and jelly but usually not sandwich bread.
15. Butter or margarine is nice too.
16. Eggs are a real commodity.
17. Cake mix and frosting makes it possible to make a child’s birthday cake.
18. Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated.
19. Feminine hygiene products are a luxury and women will cry over that.
20. Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing.

Just A Heads Up
I know I’m out there a week early with this information. Because this will affect our printing deadlines for the November 12 issue, I’m going to start sharing it now.
With Veterans Day falling on a Tuesday this year, we will be adjusting our printing schedule for all of the papers that publish at Greater Northwest Publishing in Minot.
With the Post Office closed on Veterans Day, in order to get our papers out in the mail on Wednesday, we will be printing on Monday. That means that we will have an absolute deadline of Friday, Nov. 7 for the November 12 issue. We will be in the office on Monday morning finishing up the paper, but it will be like a Tuesday instead. We will only have enough time for finishing touches to the pages.
In observance of Veterans Day, the Promoter office will also be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
And From Facebook
Halloween is on Friday. Kids of all ages will be out trick or treating. I saw this one on Facebook and thought we sure could be better to each other.
“Halloween: a day when we get it right. Strangers come to us, beautiful, ugly, odd or scary, and we accept them all without question, compliment them, treat them kindly, and give them good things. Why don’t we live like that?” by Steve Garnass-Holmes.