Grant Co. Democrats collect for food bank

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Democrats took to the streets again Tuesday, this time to collect food for the Moses Lake Food Bank. 

“People have a right to eat,” said Dave Hammond, who was standing on the corner holding signs that said “Feeding the hungry is patriotic” and “Donate here.” “The thing I like about this is it’s going to go to the food bank, and anybody who needs it can get it.”

The drive, which lasted two hours Tuesday afternoon, brought in $393 in cash donations and about 200 pounds of food, according to Grant County Democrats Vice Chair Jill Springer Forrest.  

The event was intentionally held on Veterans Day, Springer Forrest said.

“We’re doing this in honor of the veterans,” she said. “Unfortunately, they’re cutting VA staff.”

All four corners of the intersection had people standing on them with donation boxes. Some donors stopped at the stoplight and handed cash out of their windows, Sylvia Hammond said.

Others pulled off into a parking lot to drop off food. Everything that was donated went to the food bank, Springer Forrest emphasized; none of it went to the party.

The drive also highlighted the concern many people had about the pause in SNAP benefits, which have not been issued for November due to the federal government shutdown. 

“I was just talking to a person that was trying to cross here, and she was worried about what happens when her SNAP benefits go out,” Dave Hammond said. “With the government shutdown, there are people going hungry … I don’t know if she has kids or not, but she has dignity and she shouldn’t be held hostage.”

About 50 people came out initially, Springer Forrest said, and about 25 remained at 2:30. Many had to go home after a driver stopped at the corner and blew thick black smoke from his vehicle over the attendees, Springer Forrest said.

“All these 80-year-olds were sitting down here and they were in wheelchairs,” she said.

The driver’s license plate number was caught on camera, and a police report was made, Sylvia Hammond said.

“It’s such a shame,” she said. “They can disagree with us, but this is for the food bank, and there will be Republicans who go to the food bank and benefit from it … Republicans, Democrats, independents, homeless people, veterans, military wives. It’ll help everybody.” 

    The Grant County Democrats’ food drive started out with about 50 people, organizers said, but some weren’t able to stay for the entire two hours.