SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES.
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.”
From The Kitchen: Cooking with dried beans, lentils and peas – March 8
Have you ever received dried goods, such as beans, lentils or split peas, and felt stumped on how to use them? Cooking with dried goods can seem daunting, especially if you’re used to using canned varieties. However, dried beans, lentils and split peas are affordable and often found in food pantries, so cooking with them is a great skill to gain confidence in. Continue reading for some tips and tricks on how to prepare dried ingredients and gain some cooking inspiration from Second Harvest recipes that utilize them.
National Agriculture Month: Celebrating Ag Partners and Friends – March 1
We take immense pleasure throughout the year in celebrating our agriculture partners and friends. But during National Agriculture Month, we take extra measures to recognize their continued support, contributions and commitment to Second Harvest’s mission of serving people facing hunger.
Our ag partners range from small, local farms to large industry farms, livestock operations, and the processing and manufacturing plants that support them.
Why I support Second Harvest: A donor’s story – February 23
Nothing is more important than having food on the table. To state the obvious, food—like shelter—is something without which we cannot survive. Second Harvest thus quite literally provides a lifeline for those whom my wife and I cannot feed directly. And it has done so for the nearly 40 years that we have supported Second Harvest. During this period we have seen not even a hint that their mission is diminishing in importance. On the contrary, the organization seems to be throwing out more and more lifelines to those in our midst who are in danger of sinking.
Feeding Eastern Washington and North Idaho
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