2nd Harvest, Microsoft sponsor Soap Lake food distribution
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 10 months AGO
Courtesy photo Volunteers repacked and distributed more than 10,000 pounds of food at the 2nd Harvest/Microsoft food distribution in Soap Lake last week.
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. | March 27, 2018 3:00 AM
SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake-area volunteers distributed more than 10,000 pounds of food to local families with the help of 2nd Harvest and Microsoft’s Columbia data center in Quincy.
The partnership between Microsoft and 2nd Harvest is in its third year. Each month the two organizations and local volunteers work together to distribute food in a different Grant County community.
The volunteers sorted and packed 10,647 pounds of food in Soap Lake last Thursday, donating food to about 240 area households. The food distribution was hosted by the Soap Lake Baptist Church and its pastor Andrew Schopf.
“All food was donated to 2nd Harvest by generous individuals, growers, packers, processors, wholesalers, food industry associations and retailers,” wrote Jack Eaton, project manager for the Columbia data center.
“Two dozen great volunteers joined in to help with this event,” Eaton wrote. They represented the Baptist church, Soap Lake Food Bank, Soap Lake Senior & Community Center. Schenider Electric, NTT Datacenters in Quincy, Microsoft and its security services, Quincy; Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce, Moses Lake Presbyterian Church, Ephrata Seventh Day Adventist Church and WSU-Grant/Adams County Extension.
The distribution boxes included frozen beef, ham and chicken; fresh cauliflower and onions, fresh Aurora apples, pasta, bread and cookies; potatoes “and even some Animal Crackers,” Eaton wrote. Any food that wasn’t distributed was donated to the Soap Lake Food Bank.
The next food distributions are scheduled for April 18 in Quincy and April 26 in Warden. The Quincy Rotary chapter is a co-sponsor for the Quincy food distribution.
“Microsoft always welcomes community volunteers to help with these events, and Microsoft encourages additional co-sponsors to support 2nd Harvest food distributions," Eaton wrote. People who want to volunteer or who want more information can contact Eaton at 509-787-6352 or jeaton@microsoft.com.
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