TUBA CITY, Ariz. — Update: St. Mary's stated that it was able to feed 2,000 families in less than three hours, making the Tuba City donation the largest mobile pantry distribution in the food bank's history.
Original Story:
St. Mary's Food Bank is preparing to deliver 90,000 pounds of food to the Navajo Nation Tuesday morning, the nonprofit said in a press release.
The food will be delivered to the Tuba City Fairgrounds, otherwise known as the Western Navajo Nation Fairgrounds, "before dawn" on four tractor-trailer semi-trucks, the food bank said.
About 90 minutes before the distribution began, tribal police said the line was already five miles long.
The operation will be the largest that the food bank has done since the outbreak of coronavirus.
The semis will be carrying food boxes to distribute to 2,000 families and will be handing out the food from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. or until the food runs out.
Tuba City is one of the largest coronavirus hot spots in the country and was included in the Navajo Nation's weekend curfew.
Volunteers from St. Mary's, the Navajo Nation Incident Command Center, Tuba City Hospital, and Tuba City Chapter House will be helping distribute the food to families in cars.
"[The families] will indicate the number of individuals in their household with their fingers through the glass to avoid contact with volunteers," the food bank said in the press release.
St. Mary's had previously donated food to the Tuba City hospital for deliveries for high-risk and elderly patients. The nonprofit said it is planning on donating an additional food supply for more than 300 individuals to the hospital.
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