TWIN FALLS, Idaho — In response to rising food insecurity across southern Idaho, Chobani in partnership with The Idaho Foodbank, St. Luke’s Hospital and Glanbia Nutritionals have launched a communitywide refrigerated food distribution hub.

Company officials along with officials from the partner organizations and food pantry partners gathered on Sept. 19 for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

The distribution hub will be stationed in the St. Luke’s Hospital parking lot, carrying only fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and dairy products, including Chobani Greek Yogurt and Chobani’s latest shelf-stable dairy innovation — Super Milk.

This refrigerated mobile unit will provide perishable, nutritious food to local food pantries and nonprofits equivalent to 2,500 meals per week, augmenting the work of 14 local nonprofit partners and school pantries in Twin Falls and Jerome counties.

Fresh food

Chobani is excited about the launch of the food hub, which the Chobani crew affectionately calls Lola, said Kelly Herrgesell, Chobani’s community impact manager.

Chobani’s mission is to provide high quality food to all people, but it’s about more than yogurt — it’s about community, she said.

The company gathered data and information from The Idaho Foodbank, local food pantry partners, St. Luke’s and others to identify the largest problems in food insecurity and how it could help.

That input was that food insecurity continues to rise, more fresh food is needed and The Idaho Food Bank warehouse in Boise is too far away for fresh food.

“We heard you,” she said.

Partnerships

Chobani just adjourned a hunger summit to look at the mechanics and innovation needed to address the rising needs of the hungry and food insecure, said Nishant Roy, Chobani CIO.

This public-private partnership to provide fresh food is a result of that, he said.

The nickname Lola came from a key member of Chobani’s team on the project being pregnant and searching baby names, he said.

“Lola is the baby that’s going to bring more fresh food to this community. We’re so unbelievably proud to be a part of this,” he said.

The number of people living in food insecure households in the U.S. in 2023 rose to 47 million, including nearly 14 million children.

Idaho’s hungry

There are 220,000 food insecure people in Idaho, and 68,000 of them are children, said Randy Ford, CEO of The Idaho Foodbank

“Access to nutritional food is vital to Idaho communities. … Partnership is vital to make it work,” he said.

It’s an honor for St. Luke’s to have an opportunity to partner with the community, said Arlen Blaylock, St. Luke’s COO/CNN.

“Health, nutrition and security go hand in hand,” he said.

Glanbia is honored to be part of serving the underserved, said Wilf Costello, Glanbia CCO.

“We thank this partnership more than you could imagine,” said Liz Mandelkow business manger with Mustard Seed Ministries, which maintains a food pantry.

“These people are feeding the need,” she said.