Stockpiling presents a problem for Las Vegas nonprofit

Southern Nevadans’ sudden, recent urge to stockpile bottled water and non-perishable goods has caused problems for a local charity that provides weekend food bags to children.

Each Friday, the Serving Our Kids Foundation distributes about 3,500 food bags to children in kindergarten through eighth grade at 70 Clark County schools. The bags contain staples — bottled water, ravioli, ramen noodle cups, granola and pudding or fruit cups — that are intended to help tide over kids who otherwise would go hungry on weekends.

However, an unexpected coronavirus-spurred run on bottled water and shelf-stable goods at area warehouse stores made filling this week’s food bags iffy, said Patricia Farley, Serving Our Kids Foundation board chairwoman.

The problem became evident over the weekend during the organization’s weekly food drive at the valley’s Sam’s Club stores.

“Normally, we stand outside Sam’s Club every week and people donate to us. They go and buy an extra something for us,” Farley said. “Then, if we fall short — which we rarely do — we go in and buy it.”

The drives usually supply the foundation with the items it needs each week, Farley said. “There’s such a volume of customers, and we’ve been doing this long enough that people know us. A lot of times, people come out with a cart filled with several items.”

But last weekend, “nobody was donating,” Farley said. Some shoppers were stocking up on extra goods, including bottled water, for themselves. Others found the stores already sold out of items they’d normally buy and donate.

“It caught us by surprise,” Farley said. “We’ve been doing this for 12 years, and this is the first time that happened.”

The shortfall in donations threatened food bags scheduled to be distributed Friday. However, Farley said Three Square food bank and corporate partners — as well as the last of the agency’s own stockpile of goods — were able to make up for the reduction in donations.

In addition, Farley said, “we had 100 people scouring stores, buying in small quantities what we needed to get 3,500 food bags.”

As of Tuesday, “we have 95 percent of what we need,” Farley said, but “next week we’re back to zero.”

The agency now is seeking donations to replenish its food stores and stock next week’s food bags. Donors may visit the agency’s online store (servingourkids.org/shop) to order goods. Donations of items — only items that also are available through the online store are requested — also can be dropped off at the agency’s warehouse, 121 Industrial Park Road., Suite 110, Henderson, and monetary donations also are welcome.

For more information, visit servingourkids.org or call 702-358-1056.

Contact John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280. Follow @JJPrzybys on Twitter.