SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES.

Feeding hope: Lisa’s Story

Lisa stepped out of the community center into the parking lot. Inside, she’s a member of the staff. Outside, she’s getting food for her family at Second Harvest’s Mobile Market distribution.

Lisa usually lives in a two-income household, but now it’s down to one—hers. Her husband lost his part-time job because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That meant that her family lost their food budget, since his income normally covers their groceries.

“I’m just lucky that I’m working so I can pay the bills.”

With two kids at home and only one family income, Lisa is being as frugal as she can to make it through this crisis. “We’re just really using our resources wisely. We’re trying not to waste gas. If we can walk somewhere, we do.” She was grateful that one of those resources was quite literally right outside her door at work. “I’m grateful that the Mobile Market is here in the neighborhood.”

Lisa is concerned not only about keeping her family fed but also that her kids feel a sense of normalcy through this crisis. “Kids shouldn’t need to know you’re rationing. You want them to feel like it’s always a choice—not what you have to do.” The food she received at the Mobile Market helped bring that sense of normalcy into her home. “We wouldn’t splurge on oranges. That would seem more like a splurge than a need,” she said.

Even though times are tough for Lisa and her family right now, she continues to ground herself in gratitude. “I’m just lucky that I’m working so I can pay the bills.”

Feed365: Fighting Hunger Year-Round – April 26

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.

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Food Safety First: – April 19

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.

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A celebration of our volunteers – April 12

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.

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Feeding Eastern Washington and North Idaho

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