Mattawa food distribution goes to 247 families
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 11 months AGO
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. | June 29, 2016 1:00 PM
MATTAWA — Volunteers from Mattawa and throughout Grant County repackaged and distributed more than 9,000 pounds of food to needy families in the Mattawa area recently. It’s part of a series of monthly food distributions around the county, a partnership between Quincy-area data centers and 2nd Harvest, Spokane.
The 35 volunteers repackaged and distributed 9,332 pounds of food, said Jack Eaton, project manager at Quincy’s Microsoft Columbia Data Center and the project organizer.
Volunteers came from the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic, Mattawa Food Bank and the Grace Lutheran Church in Mattawa, as well as the OIC offices in Moses Lake and Yakima. Others volunteered from the Microsoft data center, Intuit Quincy Data Center and Schneider Electric Mission Critical Facilities, Dell Quincy Data Center.
The food went to families in Mattawa, Schawana, Beverly and Desert Aire and the surrounding area. It was donated by farmers, processors, wholesale and retail outlets and distributors throughout eastern Washington, Eaton said.
Distribution included apples, plums, potatoes and oranges, and canned crushed tomatoes, bread and milk, chicken broth and garbanzo beans. The food went to 247 households, about 1,053 people, Eaton said.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Second Harvest helps 247 Mattawa area families
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 8 years, 11 months ago
Charity organizations distribute food in Quincy
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 8 years, 4 months ago

Food bank, company partner to distribute food in Moses Lake
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 8 years, 3 months ago
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER

MLFD chief search presenting a challenge
MOSES LAKE — Applications will be accepted through June 22 for a new Moses Lake Fire Chief. It’s the second attempt to find a replacement for longtime Chief Brett Bastian, and Fire Administrator Mike Ganz said the process will be different the second time around.

Feasibility study to look at options for MLFD
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials will advertise for a consultant to conduct a feasibility study to determine what changes, if any, would be beneficial for the Moses Lake Fire Department. City officials have been looking at ways to reduce expenses, including a restructuring of the fire department, and Fire Administrator Mike Ganz told Moses Lake City Council members May 23 that his analysis determined the city had three options.

Fire near SR 243 has highway closed
WANAPUM VILLAGE – Drivers will have to look for alternate routes along State Route 243 between Beverly and the junction with State Route 26. The Washington Department of Transportation has issued an alert saying the road is closed due to a wildfire in the area.