SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT – AUGUST 20
Authors: Claire Hurd and Natiel Carpenter
Each year, more than 8,000 volunteers step through our front doors and become a part of the solution to hunger in our community. They bring their passion, energy and skills to the table so they can put food onto the tables of their neighbors in need.
To show our volunteers some appreciation, we have two special shoutouts we would like to make this week.
Everyone, meet Debbi of the FOCUS Tri-Cities Group and Andy of the Mixed Nuts Volunteer Group in Spokane.
Debbi Schmoe
Q: What’s your name?
A: “Debbi Schmoe.”
Q: What volunteer group do you work with?
A: “The FOCUS (Focusing on Community, Unity & Success) Tri-Cities Group.”
Q: How long have they been volunteering with Second Harvest?
A: “We have only been volunteering at Second Harvest for a couple of months. We spent time looking for an opportunity to volunteer on a regular basis and Second Harvest was the best option for us.”
Q: How many hours have they volunteered?
A: “Currently the group volunteers several hours a month. Personally, I also drive for Meals on Wheels. I ran a food bank when I lived in Iowa out of our church. I have also participated in disaster relief with the Southern Baptist disaster relief organization and have coordinated in the kitchen. When we responded to Hurricane Sandy, our kitchen provided over 100,000 meals in 7 days.”
Q: What made you want to start volunteering?
A: “As a group, we wanted to find a way to live out the John L. Scott slogan ‘Living Life as a Contribution’ and volunteering in our community was a great way to do just that.”
Q: What is your favorite memory of volunteering with Second Harvest?
A: “I love packing boxes of food, knowing they will go to families that really need it.”
Q: Would you survive in a zombie apocalypse?
A: “Probably not, I would stop to help and end up being swallowed up by the others.”
Q: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
A: “Of course, it is meat between 2 pieces of bread.”
Andy
Q: What is your name?
A: “Andy.”
Q: What volunteer group do you work with?
A: “The Mixed Nuts in Spokane.”
Q: How long have you been volunteering with Second Harvest?
A: “About 9 years. Since 2013. “
Q: How many hours have you volunteered?
A: “Ten thousand!” (He’s really not too far from the correct answer. He has donated thousands of hours of his time).
Q: Andy, is a hot dog a sandwich?
A: “A hot dog is a MEAL. I like them with pickles, relish, tomato, cucumbers and peppers.”
Both of these highlights are just a small glimpse into the passion our donors bring to the cause. It takes strong community relations to fight local hunger and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like Debbi and Andy. Thank you both for your dedication and commitment to ending local hunger.
If you are interested in volunteering, learn more here: https://2-harvest.org/volunteer/
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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