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FEEDING HOPE: CINDY’S STORY
Cindy said this as she stood in line for the Mobile Market in Richland, Washington. “I feel this immense sense of gratitude.”
Cindy is no stranger to serving others. She previously worked in in-home nursing palliative care—as a self-titled “palliative peer.” Her job was very rewarding, but it took a toll on her health. “I forgot to take care of myself in the process,” she said. Cindy is now working on getting healthy again so she can return to her work in palliative care.
“You need to heal yourself to be able to give, and having adequate nutrition is a part of my healing journey right now.”
“When I receive food, I have a personal feeling of absolute grace.”
Stress also contributes to Cindy’s poor health, but the Mobile Market has helped alleviate some of it. “It gives me a reprieve from constantly figuring at how to get my basic needs met,” she said. Because of the money she saves on food at the Mobile Market, Cindy can afford gas to get to her doctors’ appointments.
“You never know how your gift of sustenance can impact the world around you,” said Cindy. “Every person makes a difference. Every person matters. Taking care of other people – you never know how that will impact the world around you. Every action you take can make a difference in someone’s life.”
Cindy is certainly grateful for the way people are making a difference in hers by providing her with food at no cost. “I get goosebumps coming here because it’s this sense of community—people coming together and meeting each other’s needs.”
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.
Winter 2024 Newsletter – March 15
Check out the latest news from Second Harvest. Serving people facing hunger across the Inland Northwest.
Feeding Eastern Washington and North Idaho
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