SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES

Food as Culture – May 10

In addition to being nourishing and life giving, food is also one of the greatest connectors. Food bonds people together. It shares a story in and of itself and then stories are shared, again, when bread is broken together. One of the leading “getting to know you” activities is going out to dinner.

In The Kitchen, we believe in the power of nutrition but know that nourishment goes best hand in hand with community.

Partner Agency Spotlight: Hope House – May 3

We wanted to take a moment to shine the spotlight on a local partner agency dedicated to making a difference in the lives of homeless women. Hope House offers a compassionate and respectful environment for up to 100 women seeking shelter each night. Part of that environment includes building community and friendships over the three meals offered daily.

Feed365: Fighting Hunger Year-Round – April 26

What do three warehouses, 250 food banks, and 50,000 square miles have in common? The short answer: A LOT of moving parts! The slightly longer answer? They all have or need cold storage, fuel for vehicles, and a dedicated army of volunteers. Oh, and they’re all part of the daily operations here at Second Harvest that members of Feed365 support year-round!

Feed365, Second Harvest’s recurring giving program, is an opportunity to not just sustain, but consistently grow many of the key programs here at Second Harvest.

Food Safety First: – April 19

In January and March, AIB International conducted audits of our facilities – the Pasco Distribution Center, the Spokane Distribution Center and the Wolff Family Child Hunger Solution Center. As has been the case for more than a decade, we received scores of 930 or higher, out of a possible 1000. Anything above 900 is considered exemplary.

While receiving high scores from AIB is important, we are equally proud of the fact that any day of the year, our team is always working to keep our buildings clean and our food supply safe. This speaks to the strong food safety culture we have here at Second Harvest.

A celebration of our volunteers – April 12

Volunteering doesn’t have to be a one-time thing and the individuals who volunteer at Second Harvest in Spokane and Pasco have proven that in many ways. Even though April is nationally recognized as Volunteer Month, our gratitude for your service is year-round. In the last couple of years, the Volunteer Center in Spokane has gone through various changes and adjustments to keep up with the increase in food demand, prompted first by COVID in 2020 and then by inflation. Even with the changes, our volunteer support has stayed and become even stronger. Our community is filled with mission-driven individuals to help us feed, nourish and build the community around us.

In The Kitchen: Food Waste Prevention Week – April 5

Earth Month is the perfect opportunity to reflect on our habits and how they impact the planet. We might think about how often we drive and take advantage of the nicer weather to bike to work, or maybe even grab some friends and family and find a river cleanup event for Earth Day. But did you know that you can make an impact without even leaving your house? In fact, reflecting on our cooking and grocery shopping habits has the potential to have a greater and long-lasting impact on our environment.

Gonzaga’s Dusty Stromer and Zilch: Teaming up to end hunger – March 29

Dusty Stromer understood from a young age that while his family had enough to eat, others in his circle were not so fortunate. Dusty had a courtside seat to food insecurity — he says that by age 10, he knew some of his friends came from households where food was not reliably available.

A freshman shooting guard on the men’s basketball team at Gonzaga University, Dusty recently got a close look at the fight against hunger by touring Second Harvest’s warehouse and helping to distribute free food through its Zilch program.

Grocery Rescue: Changing lives daily – March 22

Your visit to a local grocery store may seem like a routine, unimportant chore. That perfect strawberry, tomato or apple you select is made possible because different departments of your neighborhood store carefully maintain a standard for each product. But what happens when the banana is too green, or the strawberries are too ripe? That product is stranded and without rescue would find its way to the landfill. Thanks to stores partnering with Second Harvest’s Grocery Rescue program, that nutritious food is shared with partner agencies throughout the 26 counties in Eastern Washington and North Idaho served by Second Harvest.