Food Giveaway in Milbank to Begin at 1 p.m. on June 10

The Grant County Christian Service Council in conjunction with Feeding South Dakota will host the second food giveaway of 2026 in Milbank on Wednesday, June 10. The event will be held from 1-2  p.m. – an earlier time than usual.

 “Because of route changes for the Feeding South Dakota truck, we are now required to hold the event earlier in the day,” says Brenda Maass, local coordinator of the program.  “The event will still be held in the Living Word Church parking lot on the north end of Milbank on Hwy. 15. It is still only for South Dakota residents, and you  must meet the income guidelines that have been established by the federal government.”

The guidelines are included in this article, will be available at the ICAP office in Milbank, will be posted at the event, and can also be viewed online at:  https://www.feedingsouthdakota.org/general-uploads/Documents/Programs/TEFAP-Proxy_3-27-2026_English.pdf.  or in Spanish at:  https://www.feedingsouthdakota.org/general-uploads/Documents/Programs/TEFAP-Proxy_3-27-2026_Spanish.pdf. 

Guests will not be asked to provide proof of income verification at the event, but rather will self-report to verify they meet the income guidelines. Upon entrance the day of the event, households receiving food will be required to provide and verify family information including name, address, number in the household, and their signature. 

Maass says, “This information is necessary as it will then be reported to Feeding South Dakota and TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) to keep a record of your participation in the program.  Also, as a reminder, you are only able to attend one mobile distribution in the state per month, so if you plan to receive food from another distribution in the state before the giveaway in Milbank, you will not be able to receive food in Milbank on June 10.

Because participants must meet income guidelines, this affects the ability to pick up food for another family.  As in the past, you are able to pick up food for yourself and one other qualifying family.  However, if you are assisting another family, you will need to become their proxy and fill out and sign a proxy form with the family for whom you are picking up the food before you attend the distribution.  

Proxy forms are available at the ICAP office, or can be printed from the above Feeding South Dakota link. The only way to pick up food for another family is to have both a completed and a signed proxy form at the giveaway.  All families must  be residents of South Dakota and meet the established income guidelines.  Even if you have completed a proxy with someone in the past, a new proxy is required for each food giveaway.  

Because of the giveaway’s close proximity to Highway 15, recipients are asked to arrive no earlier than 11:30 a.m. to ensure  volunteers are available to park vehicles and register the guests.“We  don’t want to create traffic hazards on the highway,” Maass says. “Please do not park in the church parking lot until the volunteers are there at 11:30 to get you registered and give you parking directions.”  

As in the past, after recipients are parked, they will be asked to simply open their trunks or back liftgates to help expedite the distribution process. After you are parked, volunteers will also register you and verify your family information. “For the safety of the volunteers and speed of the distribution, please have a space ready for the workers to place the food in your vehicle,” says Maass.  For your convenience, the church restrooms will be open.

Interested in volunteering for this event? Need more information about receiving food? Please feel free to text program coordinator Brenda Maass at 605.880.7176 or email her at brendajmaass@gmail.com.

Mark your calendar for the remaining giveaways scheduled for July 8, September 9, and October 14.