By Sharon Salyer
Herald Writer
Labor, business and community groups are rallying behind food banks in Snohomish County, donating $17,000 Friday to help restock shelves that had been stripped nearly bare.
The response followed warnings from Virginia Sprague, who oversees the food warehouse that supplies 19 food banks throughout the county, that food donations had slowed to a trickle. The problem grew more acute, she said, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
On Friday, United Way of Snohomish County announced a $5,000 donation, as well as a challenge to local businesses and organizations to contribute to the cause.
"We were hearing that the shelves were empty," said Brent Stewart, president of United Way of Snohomish County. "We were stunned to find that out and quickly moved into action."
Teamsters Local 38 gave $500, and the Snohomish County Labor Council contributed $6,000, said Bill Borders, labor liaison at the local United Way chapter.
One couple drove to the north Everett Volunteers of America warehouse to personally deliver a $500 check Friday morning.
Sprague picked up the phone Friday afternoon to be told of a $5,000 donation from the Windermere Foundation.
Other cash donations Friday totaled $500. And 400 pounds of food was donated, Sprague said.
In addition, food drives have been announced by area businesses, including Neuvant Aerospace Corp., Phillips Medical Systems, Contour Washington, Village Community Services, Magna Design, the Snohomish County Labor Council and the electrical workers Local 191.
On Thursday, Sprague said the 14,000-square-foot warehouse had little besides government commodities such as cheese and rice to offer those needing food assistance.
There were no holiday items, including turkeys and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, she said.
Before Friday’s announcements by area organizations, food donations had been projected to drop by 50,000 pounds this month alone, Sprague said. A one-day food annual food drive earlier this month that typically brings in 2,000 pounds of food netted only 14 pounds.
The decline was especially worrisome, she said, as food banks head into a period of peaking demand due to recent layoffs and the upcoming holidays.
A minimum of 350,000 pounds of food is needed to get through the holidays, Sprague said. That’s more than the 325,000 pounds of food donated earlier this year during the annual letter carriers food drive.
While any donation is welcome, cash donations are especially appreciated, she said, because of the discounts the food distribution center can get due to the large volume of food it buys.
For example, Sprague said she could buy a 10-pound bag of potatoes for 5 cents a pound. On sale at retail stores, the same 10-pound bag might cost 99 cents, she said.
You can call Herald Writer Sharon Salyer at 425-339-3486
or send e-mail to salyer@heraldnet.com.
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