Coronavirus: National Guard to continue helping Second Harvest in Springfield area

SPRINGFIELD — The National Guard has approved a request by Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties for the use of two light and medium tactical vehicles to transport and deliver emergency food boxes and senior boxes.

These areas were already experiencing a food shortage before the Coronavirus outbreak, due to the closing of the Kroger grocery store on South Limestone in Springfield.

The community can expect to see the vehicles at mobile food distributions across the area.

The National Guard, deployed on March 30 to assist the Second Harvest, has continued to provide critical support to the organization’s expanding operations.

As the emergency food needs in the community increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, Second Harvest is adding food distributions in the three-county coverage area to meet these needs.

"We started with fifteen guards and expect to be at thirty by the end of this week said Tyra Jackson, Second Harvest executive director. " They are increasing our capacity to meet the growing emergency food needs of our community."

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