EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
NATIONAL GUARD AND NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH – APRIL 2
THANK YOU, NATIONAL GUARD!
Second Harvest celebrated the hard work of the National Guard members who have been serving at our Spokane Hunger Solution Center since last year with a special lunch last week. The National Guard was deployed in May 2020 in response to the skyrocketing need for food assistance in the wake of the pandemic. The National Guard has been a critical part of Second Harvest’s COVID-19 crisis response. With their help, Second Harvest distributed nearly 53 million pounds of food throughout 2020—a 58% increase over the previous calendar year. After nearly a year of pandemic response, the National Guard has demobilized from Second Harvest in Spokane, as their skillsets are needed elsewhere at this time.
The staff, volunteers, donors and partners of Second Harvest are immensely grateful to the members of the National Guard for their committed effort to getting food to people who need it most during this crisis. Thank you for your service!
NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH
Second Harvest’s goal isn’t just to feed people. We want to feed people well. We know that access to nutritious food, especially fresh produce, is critical to an individual’s health and the wellbeing of our community. That’s why we work hard to ensure that nearly three-quarters of the food we provide is fresh and perishable.
United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties recently highlighted Second Harvest’s Hunger Solution Center in Pasco in honor of National Nutrition Month in March. You can watch their video to learn more about what Second Harvest is doing to encourage healthy eating. You can also find lots of great recipes, courtesy of The Kitchen at Second Harvest, to make at home here.
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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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