FOOD: Rathdrum bank needs space

The Rathdrum Thrift Store and Food Bank served 500+ families in the Rathdrum, Hauser and Hayden area last year. Unfortunately, the thrift store and food bank have to share a facility. They operate from a tiny, dilapidated building where the roof is about to collapse. Even with the shed out back, the food bank barely has enough room for all the food. Their greatest wish is to have some sort of new building, but in the meantime they are making due with what they have.

On a recent visit, I spoke with Cathy and Pearl. They said that the main concern is not about the amount of food they have, it is where they have to put it. As I looked around I understood what they meant.

The place is minuscule! The few shelves they have are absolutely bursting with food. They have a small shed out back, but it is just not enough. What they need is a much larger facility. Another issue is that the building is really old and falling apart. If you look up, the ceiling looks as if it could collapse at any moment.

I believe that the local community should do something to help the Rathdrum Food Bank. They need more space and a more stable building. I think we should hold a really big fundraiser and possibly a few smaller ones too. If we raise enough money we could have a whole new building constructed. Then they could store more food. Just think of how many more families they could serve each year!

As for fundraising, my idea for the large fundraiser is some sort of fun-run. This would have to be in the spring or early summer, and we would have to find a place to hold it with a safe route. We would need to find volunteers for water stations, check-ins, participant safety, a medical team, and much more. We would also have to have sponsors. As for small fundraising, this could mean bake sales and such. I believe that all of this fundraising would bring in a lot of awareness and support.

We have the power of change; we can make this happen if we try hard enough. Think of how many more families the food bank could help each year if they had room for more food! It’s bad enough that people have to experience this kind of hunger, so why not try to end it? Although we may not be able to conquer it completely, we may be able to put a huge dent in it. Let’s give back to our community for those in need — say yes to a bigger, better Rathdrum Food Bank!

HANNAH RASCHKE, Grade 7

Hauser