CGOC food drive results in bountiful donations for Northland Rescue Mission Published Dec. 8, 2008 By Company Grade Officer Council GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Members of Grand Forks Air Force Base's Company Grade Officer Council donated both their time and efforts to collect food for the Northland Rescue Mission during a food drive at the base commissary Nov. 25 and 26. "The idea for a food drive started when the CGOC learned that the mission had 117 people staying at their facility," said 1st Lt. Tom Alford, CGOC community relations chairman. "That is a record for them." The Northland Rescue Mission, according to their Web site, is a "Christian-based, nonprofit ministry which provides homeless men and women in 21 counties in North Dakota and Minnesota with shelter, meals, clothing, spiritual guidance and case management, all delivered in a safe environment, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year." Soon after learning of the high numbers of people staying at the mission, the CGOC organized the food drive at the commissary, planning it for the two days before Thanksgiving. Members of the organization handed out fliers at the commissary entrance, making customers aware of their efforts and asking for donations. Within hours, the group had collected six hefty boxes filled with food. "It took my 4-Runner and another vehicle just to haul it all to the mission," said 1st Lt. Kaelin Armstrong, CGOC president. The food was well-received at the mission, as the abundant donations will help feed many of the facility's occupants. "I can't thank the volunteers enough," said Dave Sena, Northland Rescue Mission's Executive Director. "The canned goods and dried goods will go a long way to help prepare numerous meals throughout the winter. This contribution will help reduce our food costs for the year, which is extremely important with the hundreds of people seeking food and shelter each month at the Northlands Rescue Mission." The food drive is one of many examples where members of the base community have worked to assist its neighbors beyond the gate. "This food drive and other events like it go a long way in building a solid relationship between the 319th Air Refueling Wing and the Grand Forks community," Lieutenant Alford said. "The Company Grade Officer Council is especially proud of this event because of its large and measurable impact right here in Grand Forks. It just goes to show that small contributions of several people can collectively make a huge difference."