SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES.
Feeding hope: Lisa’s Story
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.”
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.”
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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