In the void left by Trinity Food Pantry, which closed in March, and a week after the DACA repeal announcement, members of the Moscow chapter of the League of Women Voters looked to mobilize their town to help.
In the group’s Thursday meeting, attendees voiced concerns that the role of the Trinity Baptist Church needed to be replaced and that families with little money for healthy food could benefit from better funding for free and reduced-price school lunches.
“Some parents don’t fill out the forms for their kids to get free lunches, and so they rack up a tab at the end of the year,” said Dolce Kersting, second vice president of the league and director of the Latah County Historical Society.
George Skandalos, co-owner of Moscow restaurants Maialina and Sangria Grille, said he thinks it is important that food not only be affordable, but healthy and nutritious. Skandalos and others discussed ideas like providing free cooking lessons and collecting leftover produce from the farmer’s market to distribute.
“There’s so many man-hours in this town,” Kersting said. “I’m sure we can get people around town involved.”
Kersting said when it comes to taking over for the food bank, she hopes the town and the university can take action.
“I think it’s really easy to get involved in national politics, but tackling local issues takes a lot of time to get to know the issues,” Kersting said. “Especially if you see yourself as a transient. But you live in a community that affects you too.
Skandalos echoed that sentiment, but for a less-local issue.
Since President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allowed people who illegally immigrated to the U.S. as children to remain in the country, league members discussed practical options to help.
“Our state doesn’t have viable opposition. What can we do at the local level?” Skandalos said. “Writing our representatives won’t do anything. Let’s write our mayor or pressure city council.”
Nishant Mohan may be reached at a[email protected] or on Twitter @NishantRMohan