2nd Harvest mobile food bank visits Quincy
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 7 months AGO
Courtesy photo Volunteers of all ages sorted, repacked and distributed food at the 2nd Harvest mobile food bank last week in Quincy.
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. | July 6, 2017 3:00 AM
QUINCY — More than 30 volunteers sorted and repackaged 9,359 pounds of food for distribution at the 2nd Harvest mobile food bank in Quincy recently. The food was distributed to about 202 families in the Quincy and George areas.
The mobile food banks are an ongoing project in Grant County for 2nd Harvest, in partnership with Microsoft Datacenter Operations in Quincy and other sponsors throughout the county. The food banks are held once, sometimes twice, each month at different locations around the county.
“Microsoft Datacenter Operations extends grateful thanks to the many generous farmers, ranchers, orchardists, pickers, laborers, packers, processors, distributors, wholesalers, freight haulers, retailers and very generous financial cosponsors” who pick, process and donate the food and help pay for the program, said Jack Eaton, project manager at the Quincy data center.
The food bank was held at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Volunteers repackaged and distributed fresh cucumbers, plums, onions, apples and potatoes; canned fruit, frozen vegetables, baked goods and other items.
Volunteers came from St. Paul Lutheran, the Quincy and Moses Lake Community Health centers, Amway/Neutralite in Quincy, Quincy Community Food Bank, Dell/EMC (the Microsoft service vendor in Quincy) and NTTdata Datacenter in Quincy. Volunteers also came from the Quincy Rotary chapter, the Quincy Lions chapter, Quincy Valley Historical Society, Serve Quincy Valley, Grant County People for People, Schneider Electric, the Quincy branch of Washington Trust Bank and Youth Action Interact, Quincy.
Volunteers are being sought for the next distribution, scheduled for July 27 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1045 SW Basin St. in Ephrata. Volunteers start work at 11 a.m., with the food distribution from noon to 2 p.m. in the church parking lot. No appointments are required to receive the food, and no documentation is necessary.
Two distributions are also planned in August, on Aug. 16 in Royal City and Aug. 31 in Quincy. Others are scheduled for Sept. 28 in Grand Coulee and Oct. 26 in Coulee City.
The 2nd Harvest mobile food banks travel throughout northern Idaho and eastern Washington. A schedule is updated weekly and is available by phone at 509-252-6270.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.
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