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FEEDING HOPE: SHELLEY’S STORY
“I could just hug everybody here because I’m so happy about this.”
Of course, hugging isn’t happening during the COVID-19 crisis, but Shelley’s gratitude could still be felt as she picked up a Tom’s Turkey Drive Thanksgiving meal box this year. “I’m working on a budget,” shared Shelley. “I’m going to use this very wisely, and I’ll share what I don’t need if I have leftovers.”
The COVID-19 crisis has kept Shelley from traveling to see family over the last several months, including this holiday season. This Thanksgiving, she’d be celebrating at home with her cat, who has kept her company as she’s been spending more time at home. “He’s a real sweetheart. We’re like this,” she said, holding up her hand to show her index and middle finger tightly crossed.
“I’m so much more grateful this year. I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself, and I feel like things are getting better in my life.”
Shelley couldn’t wait to cook her turkey in her new oven—one of the many things she was grateful for this Thanksgiving. She hasn’t had an oven in more than ten years, including six years when she experienced homelessness.
But a new oven wasn’t the only thing different about this Thanksgiving for Shelley. “I’m so much more grateful this year. I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself, and I feel like things are getting better in my life,” she said.
She hopes to continue to share that gratitude with others by volunteering in the community in the coming months.
Shelley had a simple but poignant message to the donors and volunteers who helped make Tom’s Turkey Drive a success: “Thank you. God bless you, and thank you.”
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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