SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES.
feeding hope: Joel and maria’s story
Cars lined up almost a mile long in the streets of Grandview with people waiting for Second Harvest’s Mobile Market food distribution to begin. Sitting in their white Ford pickup, Joel and Maria have been waiting for over an hour.
This is their first time attending a Mobile Market event, and their relief is visible on their faces. “A friend told us about it. I don’t even know what we’ll be getting, but I’m already so happy this is here,” Maria said. Joel followed up with, “I’m happy she told us to come early!”
Both Joel and Maria are still working, but at very reduced hours. Joel works in landscaping, and business has been much slower than normal this year. Maria is a house cleaner and says, “There’s only about a quarter of the houses I usually clean. It’s been very hard.”
“This is an answer to our prayers. thank you so much, and god bless you.”
They’re grateful that Joel’s mom, Esther, lives with them and can help with their two kids – ages two and four. It’s allowed Joel and Maria to be more flexible picking up odd jobs or helping friends for some extra cash. But, even with the extra help, it’s been a difficult year. The odd jobs have started to slow down, and the bills have begun to pile up.
“We’re really scared because it seems like this will never end,” Maria said. They’re worried that if things don’t change soon, they’ll have to move to Texas to live with Maria’s brother. That’s why they’re so relieved to be receiving help from Second Harvest today. “This is going to be so helpful. Thank you, thank you.” Joel said.
“This is an answer to our prayers,” Maria said. “Thank you so much, and God bless you.”
Feed365: Fighting Hunger Year-Round – April 26
What do three warehouses, 250 food banks, and 50,000 square miles have in common? The short answer: A LOT of moving parts! The slightly longer answer? They all have or need cold storage, fuel for vehicles, and a dedicated army of volunteers. Oh, and they’re all part of the daily operations here at Second Harvest that members of Feed365 support year-round!
Feed365, Second Harvest’s recurring giving program, is an opportunity to not just sustain, but consistently grow many of the key programs here at Second Harvest.
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.
Feeding Eastern Washington and North Idaho
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