Food bank needs change with seasons

MOSES LAKE — With the arrival of October and the holiday season dead ahead, Moses Lake Food Bank Operations Manager Peny Archer said the needs of its customers are changing with the seasons and donations are always welcome. 

Food is distributed to those who need it and as temperatures drop people start looking for soup and stew, chili and pasta. The food bank was bustling Wednesday morning, with people picking up fresh tomatoes and onions, dried beans, canned vegetables and canned fruit.  

“Cold weather food,” Archer said.  

Winter brings with it the need for more hearty foods, she said, and it’s best if the food requires a minimum of preparation. Winter or summer, the food bank needs what Archer called kid-friendly foods, peanut butter and jelly, soups and pasta that can be easily prepared. 

“Microwaveable would be good,” she said in an earlier interview. 

But even as it gets frosty – and then downright cold – people still need fresh fruits and vegetables.  

The food distributed through the food bank comes from a variety of sources, some local, some regional, some through federal food programs. 

“Also our beloved farmers, and our local stores. And that’s how we do it,” Archer said. 

Federal law requires that food supplied by the government be distributed, for the most part, without any qualifications, she said. That’s regardless of any outside considerations. A rumor that federally-funded food wouldn’t be distributed unless and until Donald Trump, the current Republican nominee, won the presidency is false, she said. The food distributed through federal programs depends on what’s available, she said. 

“We are non-political,” Archer said.  

Thanksgiving is less than two months away, and food bank operators are looking for donations not only for day-to-day operations but also to fill Thanksgiving baskets, Archer said.  

Every year the food bank tries to give its clients a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with things like fresh potatoes and onions, rolls and vegetables, and turkey or chicken. People have the option to donate food or money, whatever they prefer. However, the food bank has the ability to make monetary donations go a long way. 

“We can get a bigger bang for the buck because of who we are,” she said. “We can make those dollars stretch.” 

Moses Lake Food Bank
9299 Beacon Road NE,
(next to the State Route 17 roundabout)
Moses Lake, WA 98837
www.mlfood.org
509-765-8101
M-Th: 11 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.