ML Food Bank feeds families for Thanksgiving
Moses Lake Food Bank volunteers make up a food basket from the piles of potatoes and onions at the Thanksgiving basket distribution Monday. For more photos, <a href="http://www.instantimagegallery.com/iig/c/193">click here</a>.
MOSES LAKE - About 55 volunteers distributed more than 3-1/2 tons of food on a hectic first of Thanksgiving basket distribution at the Moses Lake Food Bank Monday.
Volunteers from the Seventh Day Adventist program ACS of Love, Farmers Insurance, Columbia Basin Job Corps, Big Bend Community College, the Allstate Insurance office, the American Family Insurance office and Duda Insurance checked in clients and distributed boxes and bags of food. Each family received turkey or chicken with all the Thanksgiving trimmings, potatoes, onions and canned goods. Financial Manager Scott Kilpatrick said the food bank had distributed baskets to 673 families with about a half-hour to go on Monday.
The last day of distribution was today.
"I'll sleep good tonight," Kilpatrick said.
"We all will," said Operations Manager Penny Archer.
Archer estimated about half the food bank clients that will use its services for Thanksgiving came through on the first day. In those circumstances a drive-through distribution on the first day is easier, she said.
"It went really smooth," Kilpatrick said.
"We had so many volunteers, as you can see," Archer said. In fact, 55 volunteers might be a low estimate. "I'm sure 55 may be on the conservative side," she said. Volunteers determined eligibility, directed traffic and loaded cars with food.
The food bank was supposed to open at noon, but cars started lining up about 9:30 a.m., Kilpatrick said. The first cars rolled though the line at about 10:30 a.m., and traffic was steady until the food bank closed at 3:30 p.m.
After the Thanksgiving holiday the food bank is soliciting donations for Christmas basket distribution and the food bank's toy drive, Operation Friendship.
Food bank operators are looking for new toys, in the box, with approximately a $10 value. Operation Friendship is designed for children age 12 and under, Kilpatrick said.
The food bank is open for donations from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Food bank operators are looking for donations of food and money. "If they want to bring us food, we do back flips," Kilpatrick said. But food bank operators are skilled at stretching dollars as far as they can, he said.