As soon as produce is placed on the shelves at the Community Action Partnership food bank - much from the nonprofit's own garden - "it's gone," said Carolyn Shewfelt.

"Fresh produce is really needed," said Shewfelt, program manager for the CAP food bank in Coeur d'Alene. "A lot of people that come to the food bank, they may be disabled, or there are a lot of factors where they may not have space or be able to hold a garden."

The food bank relies primarily on its own garden to restock shelves, she said, noting that grocery store donations are often on the brink of expiration.

The problem is finding hands to tend the food bank's dirt beds, as the nonprofit faces dwindling staff.

"We are just trying to find volunteers to help work together and get it done," Shewfelt said.

This weekend, that's what the food bank will get.

Collaborating with Washington Rotary District 5030, Coeur d'Alene's three rotary clubs plan to prep the food bank's garden and improve its sprinkler system this Saturday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

If the weather precludes those activities, the rotaries from both states will help sort the food bank's warehouse to ensure food is given away before reaching its expiration.

"That's the purpose of Rotary. It's a service organization," said Lori Mayfield, president of the Coeur d'Alene Rotary.

The food bank garden is one of two joint projects this weekend to be conducted by Rotary District 5030 - comprised of Seattle area rotaries - with District 5080, which includes the Lake City's rotaries.

Rotaries often pair up across state lines and even from different continents to collaborate on projects, Mayfield said. This weekend, she added, is the result of the Washington district holding a conference in Coeur d'Alene.

"Apparently it's traditional when a district comes and has a conference at another city, they see if they can partner with the local Rotary clubs on some hands-on projects," Mayfield said.

Shewfelt said the assistance will hopefully help the food bank feed more families, and added that the food bank distributed more than 1.5 million pounds in Kootenai County last year.

Volunteers from the general public are welcome to help with the garden this weekend, and any other time, Shewfelt added. For more information, contact the CAP volunteer line: 770-3017.

The rotary districts have also coordinated on a literacy project on Friday.

The Washington district donated $2,000 to Borah Elementary to purchase books, and the Coeur d'Alene rotaries also pitched in a few hundred dollars.

Borah school librarian Sally Dodge said buying books is a luxury the school doesn't experience often.

"We have a very, very limited budget," Dodge said. "This is just like Christmas for me."

The donation has allowed her to procure more than 150 books, she said, which will allow the school to replace its dated science section and provide more beloved children's literature.

"The kids are so excited. I've mentioned I have new books and a lot of them are titles (the kids) are very excited about," Dodge said. "If you saw the light in their eyes, yes, they're thrilled to add to our library. It's a big, big gift for us."

The rotaries are also donating several copies of an anti-bullying book to the school, Mayfield said, which representatives will read to the kids on Friday morning.

The Coeur d'Alene Rotary has also engaged with rotaries in other countries on projects, Mayfield said, like creating a solid waste treatment system in Belize.

"That's one of the benefits of being a rotarian," Mayfield said. "You can work on an international project with fellow rotarians, and we are also able to make a real mark in our own area."