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Gonzaga prep’s annual food drive brings hope
to local tables
Let the food drive go on. So said students at Gonzaga Prep who, despite the pandemic, moved forward with their long-standing tradition last fall and proudly collected more than 100,000 pounds of food for hundreds of Spokane families in time for Thanksgiving.
The food was an amazing gift for vulnerable people during the holiday season, but students did so much more. They also raised almost $20,000, which they gave to Second Harvest this month to help keep healthy food moving to where it’s needed most. The financial support by students’ families and friends, Gonzaga Prep alumni, and others in the community will be transformed into food for about 100,000 meals for local people facing hunger.
“it was wonderful to see people still be able to help out. It’s been a tough year for everyone.”
Seniors on the food drive committee described the incredible generosity they experienced, which they believe was inspired, in part, by urgent COVID-19 crisis realities.
“Everyone realized the need was even greater this year,” said Anna Shortell.
“It was wonderful to see people still be able to help out. It’s been tough for everyone,” Tammy Njagi added.
COVID-19 has shut down most in-person activities since last March, and Gonzaga’s food drive reflected the new normal. Safety for everyone was the top priority as students rolled up their sleeves—and put on their masks—for contactless food donation collections and deliveries. Students were creative, leaving fliers and empty grocery bags for food on doorsteps, then returning later to pick up donations.
“It was cool on pick-up days to see a bag on every person’s doorstep,” Zachary Round recalled.
Each student donated $6 toward the purchase of 240 turkeys and pumpkin pies—ingredients for festive holiday meals for the families they served. On the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Gonzaga students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni teamed up for no-contact deliveries to 168 families at their homes. In addition, they delivered food supplies to about 200 other families at numerous Catholic Charities apartment complexes and shelters for formerly homeless people. These included Pope Francis Haven, Sisters Haven, Fr. Bach Haven, Buder Haven and St. Margaret’s Shelter.
In this time of great need, Gonzaga also welcomed several groups to pick up much-needed food supplies, including the Spokane and Colville Native American tribes, the St. Vincent de Paul food pantries of Mary Queen and St. Thomas More, and the Post Falls Food Bank. When all was said and done, almost 10,000 pounds of surplus food donations were given to Second Harvest to share with other people facing hunger.
What an inspiring act of kindness by the Gonzaga Prep community to help feed their hungry neighbors. Thank you for being an important part of the solution to hunger.
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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