'Deervember' means more 'doe' for food bank

It’s Deervember to the rescue.

Northwest Auto Body’s annual driving awareness campaign and donation to the Bonner Community Food Bank bagged big bucks this season.

Some might say it attracted a record amount of … doe.

On Thursday, representatives from the local auto collision repair company handed a check to Debbie Love of the Bonner Community Food Bank for $7,500. This brought the grand total to $32,000 for the 10 years Deervember has been a thing.

Each November, NWAB donates $50 for each animal versus vehicle repaired in its shops in Sandpoint and Ponderay to the Food Bank. For most of that run, Eric Paull and Washington Trust have been partners and have matched NWAB’s donation. More recently, more local businesses have also become sponsors, many of them coming from the local chapter of Business Networking International.

Co-sponsors include: Mountain Stove and Jake’s Chimney Sweep, Dave and Bea Speakman, agents with Farm Bureau; AGE Heating and Cooling, Energy Electric and 4D Auto Wraps. Some of these businesses donate a set amount while others base their contributions on a percentage of business in November.

“We are so pleased to make a difference for our neighbors and friends who need the Food Bank,” said Cory Donenfeld, NWAB co-owner and president. “We want to raise awareness for drivers to be on alert for animals during the busiest month for deer and vehicle collisions and try to turn something that could be a negative into a positive.”

Even residents that haven’t had an accident have been known to come into the shops and donate money to Deervember.

“We are all in this together and we are grateful to be in a position to help out the Food Bank,” said Eric Donenfeld, NWAB co-owner. “The Food Bank is hit especially hard during the holidays, and they tell us our promotion helps hundreds of families and helps with the operation of the facility.”

The partnership goes both ways. Love is a huge fan of NWAB, which will be 50 years old in 2026. She often sports a NWAB baseball cap and the Food Bank delivery truck has a huge NWAB logo on it.

"I continue to be amazed by the generosity of this community," she said. "I can't thank Northwest Auto Body enough for making a difference for so many people. This is a substantial donation and will keep us in good shape as we get past the holidays and into a new year." 

With a mild fall, NWAB didn’t know what to expect in Deervember. Last year, $6,400 was donated to the Food Bank as a result of the promotion and that set an all-time record. This year there were more accidents and more co-sponsors.

Donations and volunteers are appreciated year-round at the food bank, but there is a rush during the holidays.

Cash is appreciated because the food bank has connections that can stretch the buying power.

The food bank is located at 1707 Culvers Drive, Sandpoint.

Among high-need items are canned chicken and tuna, preferably with pull tops; shelf-stable basics such as peanut butter, pasta and flour.

The food bank can be reached by photo at 208-263-3663 or on its website at bonnerfoodbank.org.