Ephrata 2nd Harvest distribution serves more than 500 people
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years AGO
CBH Columbia Basin Herald Local News
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | April 9, 2016 6:00 AM
Volunteers distributed more than 9,000 pounds of food
EPHRATA — The 2nd Harvest food bank distributed more than 9,000 pounds of food to residents of Ephrata, along with recipes and cooking tips – March 31. The organization partnered with employees of the Microsoft Data Center in Quincy and volunteers from a number of other organizations.
Working with the volunteers, 2nd Harvest distributed 9,541 pounds of non-perishable food, fresh produce and frozen food, said Jack Eaton, project manager of the Microsoft data center in Quincy. The food was distributed to 183 households and will feed an estimated 582 people.
This is the third distribution in 2016 in the 2nd Harvest-Microsoft partnership. Food was distributed in Quincy in January and Moses Lake in February.
“Throughout the event 2nd Harvest’s Nutrition Team members distributed hot food samples and easy-to-cook recipes to all,” Eaton wrote. The distribution included fresh produce, apples and onions, oranges and potatoes, lettuce and a lot of different bread items, Eaton wrote.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Ephrata, volunteered its parking lot as a site for the distribution, and volunteers from the church helped pass out the food. Volunteers also came from Ephrata Rotary, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Ephrata Food Bank, the Ephrata office of Grant County PUD and the Ephrata School District.
Distribution included volunteer contingents from the Microsoft, Intuit and Yahoo data centers in Quincy, Windemere Real Estate in Ephrata and Quincy, OIC (Moses Lake and Yakima), the Grant County Journal in Ephrata, Thrivent Financial Services (East Wenatchee) and many other businesses, Eaton said.
Distributions are scheduled throughout Grant County each month in 2016. The location of the next distribution will be announced.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Moses Lake Grange to sponsor candidate forum
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Grange No. 1151 will sponsor a forum where people can listen to candidates for the Fourth Congressional District from 3 to 5 p.m. May 9 at the Grange building, 14724 Road 3 SE.
Ephrata to consider impact fees for new development
EPHRATA — The possibility of adding transportation and parks impact fees for new development will be under consideration by the Ephrata City Council, starting with a discussion April 29. Community Development Director Ron Sell said development fees would be a new thing for Ephrata. “Currently we don’t have any impact fees in place. We do have a parks mitigation fee in place,” Sell said.
Surveys of Moses Lake residents show attitudes toward service cuts, sales tax increase
MOSES LAKE — About 49% of Moses Lake residents contacted as part of a survey of community attitudes and priorities said they were satisfied with the direction of the city, with about 42% saying they thought the city was on the wrong track. The biggest concerns of survey respondents centered around homelessness and public safety. The survey was part of a larger project to get public input on possible revisions to city programs due to a deficit in the general fund. “We’re trying to understand how voters look at their values and what kinds of things you might have the opportunity to do in the future as you’re thinking about corralling this budget. Where are the opportunities, where will you find resistance and (where) will you find more agreement among voters?” said Ian Stewart, of Fulcrum Strategy group, which conducted the survey.