Truck distributes produce, perishables

Event helps residents struggling in economy

MOSES LAKE - There were two lines in the McCosh Park parking lot Friday morning.

One was the line of people waiting to receive food.

The other was the line of people eager to give it to them.

A 24-foot refrigerated truck loaded with fresh produce and perishable food items arrived in Moses Lake for the first time Friday, as part of a collaboration between local chapters of Northern Rocky Mountain Region of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Second Harvest Inland Northwest to get produce to underserved communities in a timely manner.

Volunteers from the Grant County chapter of Thrivent Financial and from the area's Lutheran churches assisted in distributing the produce Friday.

The truck, which holds 7,000 to 10,000 pounds of food, is used by Second Harvest to collect, inventory and deliver produce.

"This was a partnership that came about as a result of the need for Second Harvest to get more, especially fresh, foods out to areas and particularly underserved area, where maybe they don't have the facilities to handle as much fresh stuff as what you see out there today," explained Mike Feiler, Spokane Valley-based manager of Lutheran community services for Thrivent Financial.

Thrivent Financial provided the truck and offered to provide volunteers and tables for Second Harvest, Feiler continued. The program started about two years ago, and other trucks are based in Boise, Idaho, and Missoula, Mont. A semi-trailer went online Thursday, Feiler added.

The 10,000 pounds of food on hand Friday was worth about $15,000, Feiler said.

"Uncle Sam as a benchmark says this food is worth $1.50 a pound," he said. "Which, if you look to see what's here today and check the prices, you'll find out that's pretty low.

Second Harvest provides the food through donors and funding raised, Feiler added.

The program welcomes volunteers from any organization or company to sponsor a food distribution event, he said.

"I think for a community, as you look at the group we're seeing here today, you will notice it doesn't fit the mold an awful lot of us have," Feiler said. "I think we would like to think the people that would come here are people who are lazy or people looking for a handout. What you find more and more is these people are truly working people. They're just getting priced out of the market, especially for the kind of stuff that's here today."

The items being distributed included salads, vegetables, baked goods, bread and juice.

Feiler said the event is particularly helpful for senior citizens living on a fixed income.

"(They) come through that literally say, 'We can't afford to buy fresh lettuce and fresh cucumbers. We're not starving to death, but we're not getting a lot of the kind of nutrition that we have,'" Feiler said. "We're lucky enough to live in an area like Moses Lake, where there's a lot of great stuff being grown, fruit and produce, stuff like that, and so some of what you see here is a result of what farmers, producers, packers, processors and wholesalers have donated, too, so that really helps the cause."

"It's wonderful," said volunteer Mike Lihou of his participation. "You're happy to help people in need."

Lihou had also participated in a similar event in California.

It was Patsy Hall's first year participating.

"I love it," she said. "I love to help people that need help."

Jill Forker was pleased to see the perishable items, which she said is beneficial for children who would otherwise receive boxed or canned items.

"We're just having a really hard time making ends meet," Forker said. "The cost of food is so expensive and everything is going up. I think it's awesome (to have an event come into Moses Lake) because so many people need it right now. Everybody is struggling."

Herbert Franks said he was picking up a little bit of everything.

"Whatever I can carry," he said. "We appreciate it, that's for sure."