MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Food Bank was open on the day after Christmas – and that’s what the food bank is about. Charitable projects, donation drives, efforts to help people in need go into overdrive during Christmas, but eventually Christmas ends, and the food bank is still open and still serving people in need.

The food bank got a lot of donations in November and December, but it also distributed a lot of food, said director Peny Archer. “We went through an amazing amount of meat,” she said. “And also we’re fairly low on soups and stews.”

Wednesday’s food distribution included peanut butter and packages of beef stew, and Archer said that’s the kind of food that’s needed in winter. “Protein,” she said, food that’s more suitable for cold weather. (Both the stew and the peanut butter were donated through the U.S. government’s commodity program, Archer said.)

“Kid-friendly” foods also are needed year-round, Archer said, things like canned pasta and soup in microwavable containers.

Food bank usage goes up in winter. “Our numbers are higher, because people have gotten laid off.” There aren’t any numbers yet, but Archer said it’s her impression that food bank usage is higher this winter. In addition, she said she’s seeing more homeless people, many of whom said they came to town for a job that fell through.

Of course, the food bank also accepts money, and in some ways money is even more useful. Food bank operators can buy in bulk, which makes individual donations go further. For some purchases, especially food in bulk, the food bank works with Northwest Harvest. The Seattle-based organization collects food and in turn distributes it to food banks around the state.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.