Regional food drive fills Issaquah food bank shelves
November 24, 2009
By Warren Kagarise
A monthlong food drive helped the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank pull in almost 16,000 pounds and about $1,000. But the pantry still needs donations to feed the hungry as the holidays approach.
Overall, Eastside residents donated more than 77,000 pounds of food to regional food banks during the drive. The campaign wrapped Oct. 24; organizers released the tally last week. Monetary donations during the drive reached almost $10,000, including a $5,000 contribution from Walmart.
The effort was critical, because donations at the Issaquah pantry dipped in the weeks ahead of the drive, Executive Director Cherie Meier said.
Meier said the food bank needed grocery gift cards in order for clients to buy perishable items, such as turkeys, during the holiday season. The pantry also needs baking supplies, like flour, oil and sugar, Meier said.
Several Issaquah churches and hundreds of parishioners joined forces to fill shelves at the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank. Other Eastside food programs — like Hopelink, the countywide Emergency Feeding Program and the Mercer Island food pantry — benefited during the drive as well.
Meier said the Issaquah pantry took in 15,898 pounds of food as a result of the drive.
The push was known as the Eastside Month of Concern for the Hungry. Organizers encouraged businesses, community leaders, faith-based organizations, hospitals, neighborhood associations and schools to host food drives and fundraising events to fill pantry shelves. The drive, known as the Share What You Can campaign, launched in late September.
Data provided by the Share What You Can campaign shows requests at local food banks up 50 percent from 18 months ago, and among the households using food banks, 38 percent have at least one member under 18. Nearly half of the people using food banks — 44 percent — said they had to choose between buying food or paying mortgage or rent.
“The recent economic collapse and lingering recession have created a real crisis in our community,” Brian Anderson, operations director for the Emergency Feeding Program, said in a news release. “With so many jobs lost, retirement nest-eggs depleted and homes in danger of foreclosure, far too many of our neighbors are struggling to keep something as basic as nutritious food on the family table.”
After the regional drive proved successful, Meier said she looked forward to bigger returns if the event is held again next year.
“Hopefully, next year, it will grow more,” she said.
How to help
Donate nonperishable food items to the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, 179 First Ave. S.E. Learn more about the pantry at http://issaquahfoodbank.org/.
Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
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