EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE, NATIONAL GUARD AND MORE – DECEMBER 18
SPOKANE COUNTY FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE
Second Harvest is proud to be part of the Spokane County Food Security Coalition, which recently launched a pilot emergency food box delivery program to better serve people facing hunger in Spokane County during the COVID-19 crisis. The pilot program runs through Dec. 29 and is funded by CARES Act dollars allocated by Spokane County. To learn more about the program, watch this video, “Our Daily Bread: Fighting Food Insecurity with Compassion and Equity,” by Rising River Media.
NATIONAL GUARD
The National Guard will demobilize from our Pasco Hunger Solution Center on Thursday, Dec. 17, as planned. However, National Guard members will continue assisting at the Spokane Hunger Solution Center through March 2021. The Spokane deployment will be considered for further extension beyond March, based on need, as well as other pandemic-related demands being placed on the service members. The demobilization of the National Guard in Pasco will open volunteer opportunities at our Pasco Hunger Solution Center in January. Watch for volunteer registration updates on our blog and social media. Second Harvest is so fortunate to have—and continue to have—the incredible assistance, insights and inspiration the National Guard members have provided during this challenging time.
SECOND HARVEST HOLIDAY CLOSURES
Second Harvest will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 23, through Friday Dec. 25, for Christmas and Thursday, Dec. 31, through Friday, Jan. 1, to give volunteers and staff much-deserved rest over the holidays. If you’d like to drop off a year-end food or fund donation, please be sure to note these closures. You’re welcome to stop by during business hours on Dec. 21 and Dec. 22 or Dec. 28 through Dec. 30.
We’re sometimes asked why we take extra days off during the holidays, and there are a few reasons. The first is that most of the food banks we supply distribute holiday food boxes the week before Christmas. This allows local volunteers to make sure that families have what they need before the holidays, and it also means that the volunteers get to take a well-deserved break for the holidays. At Second Harvest, our job is to make sure that local food banks are stocked up and ready for those distributions. This means that Second Harvest’s volunteers and staff also get to rest up and recover over the holidays. Due to the pandemic, we are shipping more food than ever to help people in need. We know there will be much more work to do in the New Year.
Thank you all for your dedication and generosity that has helped so many of our neighbors in Eastern Washington and North Idaho persevere during this pandemic. We can’t find the words to express our gratitude. And here’s wishing you all a safe and healthy 2021.
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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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