By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Pickups were steady Friday at Marion Senior Center as disaster food boxes were distributed to people who needed them.

The state Department for Children and Families sent a shipment of food for people struggling to buy food because of stay-home orders prompted by COVID-19 spread in the state.

County department on aging employees boxed the food for distribution.

Lanell Hett and Gayla Ratzlaff, of the county department on aging, carried boxes outside to cars and pickups parked in front of the building.

“We put together 60 full boxes in Marion,” Ratzlaff said.

As part of the same program, food distributions were held last week at Burns, Peabody, Pilsen, Tampa, and Ramona Community Centers, Florence Methodist Church, and Main St. Ministries in Hillsboro.

Ratzlaff told county commissioners Monday that 60 boxes were distributed in Marion, 38 in Ramona, 78 in Lincolnville, and 24 in Peabody. She did not tell commissioners how many boxes were distributed in Hillsboro.

People picking up the food were not required to prove income levels.