SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES.
FEEDING HOPE: JOCELYN’S STORY
A single mom trying to make ends meet, Jocelyn forgot about Thanksgiving during her last trip to the grocery store. After buying food for herself and her five-year old daughter, there wasn’t enough in her budget to purchase the ingredients for a holiday meal. That’s why she was very grateful to be able to get everything she needed at Tom’s Turkey Drive this year.
Without any family in town, Jocelyn works hard to balance taking care of her daughter and paying the bills on her own. “I don’t really have a support system,” she said. For Jocelyn, the COVID-19 crisis has made that balance even harder. She typically works as an animal nanny, but the pandemic has led to a significant drop in her income, as many people are home more or asking family members to watch their pets.
“Thank you for making the holiday hopeful and thankful – for everything that you do.”
The food Jocelyn received from Tom’s Turkey Drive would bring her not only nourishment this holiday but also joy, since she loves to cook for herself and her daughter. “I’m just looking forward to getting in the kitchen and doing some culinary goodness,” she shared.
As Jocelyn finished putting her Thanksgiving ingredients in her backpack to take home, she had a message for the many volunteers and donors who made Tom’s Turkey Drive possible: “Thank you for making the holiday hopeful and thankful – for everything that you do.”
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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