Review editorial
November 25, 2008
By Staff
Share your bounty with a donation to the food bank
Last weekend’s Harvest Dance at Pickering Barn may well have been the first big fundraiser ever held with the sole purpose of benefiting the Issaquah Food Bank.It shouldn’t be the last.
An estimated $14,700 was raised Friday night as about 400 people came to hear the two bands, eat food (that was mostly donated), sip a little beer and wine, buy an auction item and make a monthly pledge or a one time donation to the food bank.
The food bank typically takes in about $60,000 a year in individual donations, so the dance revenue is a real shot in the arm.
A few months ago, the board of directors had eyed a $30,000 shortfall this year, but is now hopeful that it will break even — provided donations keep coming.
About half the annual monetary gifts are received in December.
The Issaquah Food Bank distributes about one million pounds of food annually.
It is the only recognized food bank serving Issaquah zip codes, Sammamish zip code 98075 and Renton zip code 98059.
The growing list of families who depend on it has not slowed. This year the food bank will have served about 4,500 families, and expects that number to climb to 4,800 in 2009.
Food bank clients receive three or four days worth of food each week.
Ninety-five percent of those families are very low income, earning less than 30 percent of the county median.
The food bank also depends heavily on more than 125 volunteers. It operates with a paid staff of only two, and the city of Issaquah provides the building, leaving 90 percent of the budget to serve families in need.
This Thanksgiving, give thanks for your own bounty, then make the decision to share what you can, while you can.
Donations go further when the food bank does the buying.
Send a check to PO Box 652, Issaquah, WA 98027, or donate online at www.issaquahfoodbank.org.
Comments
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
