Reno Food Bank Needs 15 Volunteers for Fire Victims Monday

When wildfires force families from their homes, they need more than shelter. They need their community to show up with meals, comfort, and hope.

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is asking for 15 volunteers to help prepare emergency food packages for Hawk Fire victims this Monday. The session runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the Food Bank Warehouse on Italy Drive in Reno.

The Hawk Fire has already burned over 15,000 acres and forced evacuations across Northern Nevada. Roads have closed, an emergency room shut down, and families scrambled to safety with whatever they could carry.

Now comes the hard part: figuring out where their next meal will come from. That's where volunteers step in.

Anyone can sign up immediately at FBNN.org. No special skills required, just two hours and a willingness to help neighbors in crisis.

The Ripple Effect

Food banks become lifelines during disasters, but they can't function without volunteers. Every package assembled Monday means one less thing a displaced family has to worry about. It means kids get fed while their parents navigate insurance claims and temporary housing. It means elderly evacuees don't skip meals because they can't get to a store.

The ripple extends beyond immediate relief. When people receive help during their darkest moments, they remember. Many fire victims will become future volunteers themselves, paying forward the kindness shown to them. Communities that mobilize quickly after disasters also recover faster, with stronger bonds between neighbors who showed up for each other.

This two-hour shift might feel small, but multiply it by 15 volunteers and hundreds of packages. Multiply it by every meal that brings comfort to a scared family sleeping on a friend's couch. The impact grows exponentially.

Northern Nevada has already demonstrated incredible resilience as firefighters battle the blaze and healthcare workers adapt to closures. Now everyday citizens get their chance to contribute something equally vital: the message that no one faces this alone.

Two hours on a Monday afternoon could be exactly what keeps hope alive for families wondering how they'll get through the week.