Included in the Independence Day celebrations is a chance to give to those in the community who are in need.
Celebrating 45 years of service, the Community Food Basket Idaho Falls provides emergency food for families in need in Eastern Idaho. Ariel Jackson, the executive director of the Community Food Basket, has been with the Food Basket since 2018 and took over as executive director in March 2020.
The Community Food Basket has partnered with the Idaho Falls City Council to collect donations during the Independence Day parade.
“Idaho Falls City Council will be walking the parade with donation buckets, so they’ll be taking monetary donations,” Jackson said. “We’ll have volunteers walking up and down the parade route handing out our most needed items flyers so that people can donate food whenever they want and it also has our Venmo code on the back if they would like to donate. And the thing we like to tell people is that every $1 donated is $4.80 worth of food, so it goes a long way.”
Jackson says community support is important to the work that’s done at the Community Food Basket Idaho Falls, as the Community Food Basket has less food than this time last year.
“We really need the community to help support us so that we can keep moving people through crisis and getting people to their next paycheck,” Jackson said. “And we’re struggling. We’re struggling because there’s just not as much food available as there has been in the past, and I don’t ever want to have to tell someone I can’t help them if they really need it.
The parade begins at 9 a.m. on Friday near Idaho Falls High School and will continue down 4th Street and head south on South Boulevard. Residents are encouraged to join the celebration and support those who need help in the community.
To donate to the Community Food Basket Idaho Falls, you can check out their website at feedidahofalls.org or bring a few extra dollars to donate during the Independence Day parade in Idaho Falls.