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Feeding Hope: Dave’s Story
Just a month ago, Dave had never been to Mead Food Bank before. Now, he looks forward to interacting with the volunteers helping at its weekly emergency food distributions, which the food bank began in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“We feel more isolated,” Dave said of the past few months in quarantine. “You realize we are all needy and have a certain social interconnection. This has been helpful. It’s been a nice way to get out. We’re all in this together.”
But Dave doesn’t come to the distributions just for the social interaction. His hours were cut back at one of his jobs, making money tighter than normal. The distributions help him fill new gaps in his budget and allow him to continue to pay for his car and medical bills, despite the loss in income. They also help ensure that his daughter, who can’t work or drive after a major car accident, and her children have the food they need.
“It’s a godsend—an absolute godsend.”
Dave has been very impressed by both the quality of the food he receives and the friendliness of the volunteers. “They were super pleasant and helpful. They didn’t make you feel like you’re odd or begging for food. They asked you for your preferences. They couldn’t have been nicer,” he said. “It’s not an easy task for them to do what they’re doing. They’re more appreciated than they might think.”
As he entered the parking lot of the food bank, Dave reiterated his gratitude. “This has been so helpful,” he said.
“It’s a godsend—an absolute godsend.”
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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