Submitted by the Orcas Island Food Bank
The Orcas Island Food Bank has enjoyed another amazing year of successes and improvements in the ways we serve our clients. This year, we especially concentrated on emergency preparedness. Through a community foundation grant and private donations, we received funding to install a generator and propane tank, enabling us to provide power to keep our refrigerated and frozen products cold for several days should a power outage occur.
Food Bank Manager Jeannie Doty and awesome volunteers (who donate a monthly average of 212 hours) handle day-to-day functions and product acquisitions. They keep things running smoothly, serving an average of about 90 households a week with important food staples, fresh produce and hygiene items.
But no food bank in the U.S. can do its job without community participation and backing. In our case, even though we take full advantage of state and federal programs, 60 percent of our food and the money that supports our food bank comes from you, the community.
This time of the year is our annual community food and fund drive. We hope you will take advantage of one or more of the following way to help:
• Donate online! Go to www.orcasislandfoodbank.org and click on “How to Help,” then click “Donate Online through the Orcas Island Community Foundation.”
• Mail a check to the Orcas Island Food Bank (OIFB), P.O. Box 424, Eastsound 98245. Donations of any amount really help.
• Arrange with your bank an automatic monthly or quarterly transfer of any amount to the food bank.
• Designate the food bank as a recipient of your endowment or legacy plan.
• Bring unopened nonperishable items dated no earlier than 2014 to our drop box on the north side of the food bank building on Madrona Street, or to the senior center, Key Bank or the post office at the Orcas Landing.
• Hold a food drive or fundraising event to benefit the food bank.
• Donate every time you make a purchase at Amazon.com by going to www.smile.amazon.com and choosing Orcas Island Food Bank as your charity. All purchases you make through smile.amazon.com after that will help the food bank.
Once again, the OIFB Board Members and the families who benefit from your generosity thank you deeply for your continued support!.
