by Asifa Pasin Welch
Orcas Food Bank
Every strong community has its quiet heroes, people who show up consistently, give generously and help build the kind of island we are all proud to call home. For the Orcas Food Project, those heroes are Geri and David Turnoy.
When Geri and David first learned about the Ashland Food Project in 2021 during a meeting with Amanda Sparks and Bob Morris of the Orcas Island Food Bank Board, they immediately recognized something special. It wasn’t just a clever system; it was a simple and meaningful way for neighbors to come together around food, dignity and kindness. David gathered support from fellow Odd Fellows members, and together they launched our very own Orcas Food Project that same year.
From the beginning, Geri and David have been the steady hands and compassionate hearts behind this work.
Every even-numbered month, they organize the collection cycle, which, thanks to more than a dozen neighborhood coordinators, now reaches from Spring Point to Doe Bay. Lists of needed items are prepared by Food Bank staff, inserted into the signature Orcas Food Project bags, and distributed to donors by neighborhood coordinators who greet participants with warm gratitude. On delivery day, the Turnoys can be found at the Food Bank, weighing each donation, sorting every can and package, and transforming hundreds of pounds of food into organized, usable nourishment for our community.
Geri once said, “It seemed like a really good and easy way for participants to come together and coordinate an ongoing community food drive.” Thanks to her and David, that “easy” idea has blossomed into a reliable system that brings in hundreds of pounds of food every collection cycle.
In December alone, nearly 800 pounds of food came to the Food Bank through their efforts. That donated food now provides supplemental groceries for Food Bank shoppers, home-delivery bags for those unable to visit in person, and extra nutrition for our unhoused neighbors and those with limited kitchen access.
What Geri and David have nurtured here is more than a project. It is a legacy of compassion, one that strengthens the bonds between all of us on Orcas Island. To Geri and David: Thank you. Thank you for your countless hours of coordination, your thoughtful leadership and your unwavering belief that communities are at their best when we take care of one another. Your work has touched countless lives, and our island is better, kinder and more connected because of you.
If you would like to participate or start a group in your own neighborhood, contact Geri Turnoy, program coordinator, to receive an “official” Orcas Food Project bag and the current food list at davidgeri@rockisland.com.
For more info, visit orcasislandfoodbank.org/food-ask-list.
