EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
#GIVINGTUESDAYNOW, THREE RIVERS CAMPUS, FOOD DISTRIBUTION – MAY 5
#GIVINGTUESDAYNOW
Today is the day! 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 today will be generously matched, up to the first $35,000, by First Interstate Bank.
Lisa and Kandace are two of the people you’re helping when you give to Second Harvest. You can read more about them here and here.
PARTNERSHIP WITH THREE RIVERS CAMPUS
As a sign of the different times, the Three Rivers Convention Center is creatively using its space in a new way to serve the community by housing food supplies for Second Harvest. The campus, which also includes the Toyota Center and Toyota Arena, is slated to receive up to 13 truckloads of food each day. Thanks to its polar floor made of ice, the Toyota Arena now stores produce, dairy and other items that need to be kept cold, making it one of the largest refrigerators in the Tri-Cities! Thank you to everyone at the Three Rivers Campus for your help in getting food to our neighbors in need during this crisis.
DISTRIBUTION AT THREE RIVERS CAMPUS
Second Harvest, in partnership with the National Guard and the Three Rivers Convention Center, will hold the first in a series of free drive-thru food distributions at the Toyota Center parking lot (7000 W. Grandridge Blvd. Kennewick, WA 99336) on Wednesday, May 6, starting at 11 a.m. Food for approximately 500 families will be distributed until 2 p.m. or while supplies last. The drive-thru distribution will be repeated at the same time each Wednesday in May, as long as food resources are available. No appointment, identification or proof of income is required. (Check our calendar to confirm future distributions.)
BIG WEEK FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION
Second Harvest distributed nearly 1.3 million pounds of food last week throughout the Inland Northwest – chances are the most ever in a week’s time in our 49-year history. We’re grateful for our volunteers, donors and National Guard members who made this possible. This food is destined for the tables of families and seniors who need our help right now.
While Second Harvest has received additional food donations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, sourcing a variety of products remains a challenge. As our food supply chain continues to be extraordinarily disrupted, our available food options are very limited. Typical commodities on hand include apples, onions, potatoes, beans, rice and lentils. Second Harvest is pulling out all of the stops to connect with food industry donors who can help fill inventory gaps. Your support for our COVID-19 Response Fund keeps truckloads of donated food moving into our warehouse and out to where it’s needed most.
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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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