Local food giveaway line reaches record numbers

The line of vehicles that snakes along Pipestone Avenue near the west entrance to Flandreau seems to grow longer each month.
There are families that are hungry and we need to continue to support those families, said Carrie Sanderson, who helps coordinate the joint effort to feed area families through Team Buche Cares and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe.
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the all-food Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 23.6% from 2020 to 2024 meaning, thats roughly how much your grocery bills likely increased. And while efforts are underway to bring some of those costs back down, local families who rely on programs like SNAP are growing increasingly concerned.
A prolonged government shutdown could mean temporary delays or even lapses in food assistance benefits.
That lapse is expected to come later this month or in early November. New federal legislation with stricter work requirements, combined with state processing backlogs, could further complicate access for families already struggling to make ends meet.
The local food giveaway, a partnership between the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, G.F. Buche Co., and Team Buche Cares, continues to expand in response. Each month, Sanderson and Robert Byrnes, a grant writer for FSST, said participation grows. This past Friday saw the largest turnout yet, with more than 280 cars representing families across the region receiving food.
Food is given away the third Friday of each month beginning at 2 until 3 p.m.
Each family received a full meal package along with apples and pumpkins. Supplies, however, didnt last the full day.
We know November is going to be a hard month for people, said Sanderson.
What I was so impressed with is that the community did not let any car leave empty-handedthey were able to find other food to support every single car that came through. But there is still a need, so anyone that might want to volunteer or donate, there are ways to do that.