NW Iowa News

Lyon County residents have come to rely on ATLAS, a food pantry located in Rock Rapids, during the coronavirus pandemic.

With people forced to stay indoors and reduce unnecessary movement, the demand for food has gone up rapidly, which has forced facilities such as ATLAS to step up.

The director of ATLAS in Lyon County, Lisa Vande Stouwe, issued a statement on what the county is going through, according to N’West Iowa News Website.

“It’s just been such a blessing to listen to the reaction, especially these single parents that are raising their kids to know that, 'Hey, we’ve got food here to help you,'” she said.

The closure of schools has seen a spike in the number of people served by this nonprofit organization.

Vande Stouwe also touched on the closure of nonessential businesses in the county that has affected people.

“There’s so many people in the county — a lot of them are in the food industry — and with the casino shutting, that wiped out quite a chunk,” she said.

To limit any social gathering, people are forced to call ATLAS to let the staff know what they need. In return, the staff, together with volunteers, pre-pack the foods and either deliver them or schedule a time for pickup. The pickup time is between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

The pickup locations are as follows:

West Lyon Schools, 1787 Iowa 182nd St., Inwood

Little Rock Town & Country Club, 402 Main St.

Immanuel Lutheran Church, 400 Iowa Ave. E., George

Forester Community Center at 404 First Ave. S., Rock Rapids

In addition to this, the institution is still continuing its Bread of Life initiative, where the staff prepares food for people who made their requests, with the latest Bread of Life taking place on March 30.

Residents have applauded the effort shown by ATLAS to spread hope during the coronavirus pandemic.