QUINCY — Quincy charitable organizations, with the help of Second Harvest (and Microsoft), distributed more than 9,000 pounds of food to families in need Jan. 26.

It was the first joint 2nd Harvest-Microsoft food distribution of the year, said Jack Eaton, project manager for Microsoft’s Columbia data center. The food bank, based in Spokane, and the Quincy data center are partnering for the second year to distribute food in communities throughout Grant County.

Second Harvest donated 1,500 pounds of wild Alaskan salmon in addition to potatoes and onions, vegetables, French fries, cookies and bread, among other items, Eaton said. The food was distributed to 284 Quincy-area families. Quincy Community Health donated personal hygiene items including toothpaste and toothbrushes, baby wipes and hand sanitizer. Community Health also donated backpacks with blankets. Other community members donated knitted hats and scarves, along with detergent, soap and shampoo.

Volunteers, 42 in all, helped package and repackage the food, distributed it, helped people carry the full boxes to their vehicles. The Iglesia Metodista Church donated the use of its building, and volunteers cleared ice and snow from the parking lot.

Volunteers came from Serve Quincy Valley, the Microsoft data center and associated businesses, the Dell data center, Community Health, Quincy School District and the Grant County Health District.

olunteers also signed in from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Quincy Free Methodist Church, Quincy LDS wards/Just Serve, the Quincy Moose lodge and Quincy Communities that Care.

“And IGA Quincy Market quickly donated 100 grocery bags when the event ran short on cardboard carry boxes,” Eaton wrote.

Three additional 2nd Harvest-Microsoft food distributions are planned for Quincy, and others are planned in Moses Lake, Ephrata, Mattawa, Soap Lake, Warden, Royal City, Coulee City and Grand Coulee during the year, Eaton said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at [email protected].