EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
REP. NEWHOUSE VISITS, WA FOOD FUND, MOBILE MARKET AND MORE – MAY 1, 2020
REP. DAN NEWHOUSE VISITS SECOND HARVEST
Rep. Dan Newhouse visited Second Harvest in Pasco earlier this week to learn about how the National Guard members’ service is helping respond to the increased need for food in the community. You can watch a video covering his visit here.
WA FOOD FUND
Second Harvest received its first WA Food Fund emergency food boxes this week. Second Harvest will disburse these boxes to 14 counties in Eastern Washington as part of the WA Food Fund’s strategy to support a statewide hunger-relief effort during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest will also provide WA Food Fund emergency food boxes to other counties throughout the state.
MOBILE MARKET
Our Mobile Market continues to bring food to communities in Eastern Washington and North Idaho to help families fill gaps in their budgets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can see the press’ coverage of two of this week’s Mobile Markets in Richland and Sunnyside. To find out when the Mobile Market will be near you, click here.
THE NATIONAL GUARD AT SECOND HARVEST
The National Guard has been instrumental in Second Harvest’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the National Guard have been deployed to Second Harvest’s hunger solution centers in Spokane and Pasco since March. Thanks to their efforts, Second Harvest has been able to provide $1 million in food each week for people experiencing hunger and food insecurity during these trying times.
You can learn more about the National Guard’s service at Second Harvest in Spokane here and in Pasco here.
INLAND COVID RESPONSE FOOD CONTINUITY TASK FORCE UPDATE
Members of the Inland COVID Food Continuity Task Force provided an update to the public on Friday, May 1. Drew Meuer, chief of staff at Second Harvest, outlined the current need and reported on our emergency response operations to date. Rep. Marcus Riccelli also provided information for people seeking food assistance and offered ways to help people facing hunger during the crisis. You can watch the update here.
#GIVINGTUESDAYNOW
Mark your calendars! May 5 is #GivingTuesdayNow – a global day to make a difference. You can make a gift here to help ensure our neighbors in need during this crisis have access to healthy food. Your gift on Tuesday, May 5, will be generously matched, up to the first $35,000, by First Interstate Bank.
To sign up to receive our updates to COVID-19 via email, please click here.
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.
Feeding Eastern Washington and North Idaho
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