EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
NATIONAL GUARD DEMOBILIATION AND WEEKLY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS – MARCH 12
NATIONAL GUARD DEMOBILIZATION
After almost a year of helping Second Harvest respond to elevated need during the pandemic, the National Guard will demobilize from our Spokane hunger solution center at the end of March.
As many as 60 Guard members have been on hand during a time when Second Harvest had to significantly reduce volunteers to keep people safe. Guard members had been deployed to our Pasco hunger solution center until December as well. Guard members tackled a variety of tasks – from driving forklifts and food delivery trucks to packing food boxes and staffing Mobile Market free food distributions. They also have supported other crucial planning and logistics needs.
Second Harvest is immensely grateful for all the Guard members who stepped up in a big way to ensure there were no interruptions in service while our volunteer numbers were down. During normal times, Second Harvest relies heavily on volunteers – about 8,000 a year – to help get food to where it’s needed most. Today many of our dedicated volunteers are eager to return their numbers to pre–pandemic levels, which will be essential to meeting the need through the duration of the crisis and long into the recovery. Second Harvest is equipped to safely welcome back volunteers.
Guard members truly have filled an urgent community need, and they have been critical to ensuring access to nutritious food during the crisis for people facing hunger. Thank you, Washington National Guard, for your service at Second Harvest! You can read more about the National Guard’s demobilization here.
SPECIAL WEEKLY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS WRAP UP
In response to the increased need for food assistance during the COVID-19 crisis, Second Harvest teamed up with community partners and volunteers for weekly food distributions at schools, churches and other locations in and around Spokane. Although this was the last week for these targeted distributions, we know they were a helpful resource for many families. We encourage anyone currently in need of food assistance to find a local food pantry here or check our Mobile Market schedule here. Second Harvest is grateful for the incredible people who stepped forward a year ago when we asked for help and made the special weekly food distributions possible. Thank you!
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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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