Quarterly Newsletter | Fall 2019
FAST FACT!

Did you know that the average monthly SNAP benefit per household member is only $127? This works out to about $1.39 per person per meal . In addition, households with seniors or disabled people typically receive less per month.

Executive Report: Risk of Cuts to SNAP
By Cori Walters

On October 3rd, Washington State Senator Patty Murray and Representative Kim Schrier visited the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank to have a round table discussion about the proposed budget cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as the food stamp ... READ MORE
In it for the Long Haul
By Bonnie DeCaro-Monahan

After over 20 years of involvement with the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank, Bob Eiene has a rare perspective of how the organization has grown. Filling roles ranging from staff, board member, and now volunteer, Bob has been intentional about playing an active role in addressing food insecurity ... READ MORE
Register Today for Turkey Trot 2019
Join us for the 10th ANNIVERSARY of the Issaquah Turkey Trot!
Run, walk, or trot (and gobble) through Downtown Issaquah Thanksgiving morning! This is a fun and non-competitive 5K to bring the community together and to benefit the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank.

Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.
Use "GROUP10" to save!

Visit the Issaquah Turkey Trot website for more information.
Want to help? Learn about Turkey Trot volunteer needs .
Breaking Through Social Stigma
Asking for help can be uncomfortable and embarrassing for anybody. We fear judgement and criticism when what's really needed is help. This fear and hesitation is especially heightened when asking for assistance from strangers in a community where the need for help is not very evident. This is a barrier that can hinder our neighbors in accessing the resources they need. 

One of our shoppers, Tomasa, shared her experience with this and how living in an affluent community affects her children, specifically. We invite you to watch her video to hear how she is overcoming these barriers and finding a world of resources available to her and her family today. 

Learn more about what resources are available under the "Get Assistance" tab on our website !
'Tis the Season...
Help transform Pickering Barn into a beautiful department store where parents can pick out BRAND NEW gifts for their kids!
Last year, over 1,800 children received gifts for the holidays through Holiday Gift Barn, thanks to the combined efforts of thousands of donors and hundreds of volunteers . This year, we're expecting to serve even more families! Please join us for this exciting program during the season of giving!

Not sure what to buy? Check out our shopping list and our Holiday Gift Barn Amazon Wish List for ideas and to donate what is most needed.
Learn more about how to get involved with & donate to Holiday Gift Barn on our website or contact Erin for more details.
Mayor's Day of Concern Food Drive 2019
On September 21st, our community came together to collect food and toiletries to benefit the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank. We are happy to report that the food drive collected 7,901 lbs of food between six different grocery stores and the City of Issaquah.

Thank you to the amazing team of volunteers who collected donations at the grocery stores and to those of you who spent hours sorting through thousands of pounds of food in our warehouse!

And of course, thank you to everyone who donated. You have truly made a difference and helped fulfill the specific needs of many families in our community.
The Holiday Pinch
By Rebecca Rice

Every family feels the pressure around the holidays. There are gifts to buy, guests to entertain and meals to serve… Everything has to be perfect!

This pressure extends to our shoppers at the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank and financial strain adds to the pinch, so it makes sense that we see stress levels rise as families’ needs increase closer to the holidays. A mom or dad without a car has an exponentially more difficult time getting gifts, holiday food, and decorations into their home. And for those with no bus access? Nearly impossible. Yet this is a reality for ... READ MORE
Lunch for the Break - Winter 2019

Every child and teen looks forward to those one or two weeks they're free from school and get to sleep in, hang out with friends, and have fun.

However, for some parents, especially those whose children receive free or reduced price lunches at school, the imminence of school breaks can be daunting as they scramble to find ways to meet their children's basic needs. Lunch for the Break ensures that no child is faced with hunger insecurity during this time by providing each child with a box filled with a weeks worth of nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snack foods.

Want to help? You can...

Donation drop-off is Wednesday, December 18th at
any of our partner sites .

Want to learn more? Check our website or email Erin for more information!
Summer Lunch: The Power of Choice
By Erin Longchari

Offering choice. A simple concept, but the fundamental reason behind big changes to our Summer Lunch program this year. As an organization, we believe in offering choice as an inherent part of a dignified and gracious experience for our shoppers. This is the reason we moved to a self-select, grocery store shopping model at the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank several years ago, and the same reason we wanted to carryover this concept of choice to our  Summer Lunch program .

Instead of families lining up outside in the summer heat, being offered one identical, pre-packed bag of food per child, we’ve transitioned to self-select shopping inside the food bank. Parents could now stroll through the food bank with a grocery cart and shop from our market ... READ MORE
Recipe for Hope Success
A big THANK YOU to everyone who was a part of our annual fundraiser!

We are thrilled to report that, with your help and generosity, we were able to raise $195,000 that will all go directly towards helping your neighbors in need. Help us reach our $225,000 goal by giving today or visit our website to learn more about the many ways you can get involved with the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank. We appreciate your continued support!

Harvest Program 2019
The Harvest program this year brought in 14,745 lbs of fresh fruits and vegetables that were all donated to the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank and given to our neighbors in need!

We had over 140 volunteers participate and help collect produce from gardens, farmers markets, and partner organizations.

Shout out to all the donors and volunteers who helped harvest, collect, transport, and sort through all of the harvested produce!
We appreciate you!
Donate while you do your holiday shopping!

By shopping through smile.amazon.com and selecting the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank as your organization of choice, 0.5% of your total purchase amount will be donated towards supporting our organization!
Volunteers - We need your help!

How do we collect, sort, and distribute thousands of pounds of food and clothing week after week? We couldn't without our amazing volunteers! Sign-up online or email Volunteer Coordinator, Lisa to get started!