Quarterly Newsletter | Fall 2021 |
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FAST FACT!
Climate change amidst the pandemic is causing a global food crisis leading 60 million Americans to rely on federal or private food assistance.
"Supply chain breakdowns and COVID restrictions caused consumer prices to increase and producer prices to fall at the same time. [...] The 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report links the rise in global temperatures over the past century, the increase in the number and severity of storms, and worsening droughts and floods to decreased food security."
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Directors Note: 50 Years of History
By Cori Walters
In 1971, the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank was started through the grassroots efforts of Founder, Bob Gray and concerned community members from the Pine Lake United Presbyterian Church. Boeing had devastating layoffs and many people in the Issaquah Valley were in a situation where they were left unemployed and unsure of where their next meal was going to come from. As the concerns throughout the community grew, other churches, the police and fire departments, and services organizations such as Kiwanis, Rotary, and Seniors stepped up and joined the mission to ensure everyone had food to put on their table. Bob’s sentiment and mission that “if people say they need food, they need food, and shouldn't have to beg for it - it should be a right” still rings true today in our organization.
In the beginning, food was distributed out of a volunteer’s garage, then out of a shipping container. In 1992, with the support...READ MORE.
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Client Story: The Fight to Survive
By Claire Lee
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“Sometimes the line between poverty and making it month to month is so small...yet not always reachable without a little help.”
– M.D., Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank recipient
We all walk a very fine line between being financially stable and not. A series of events can throw anyone from a position of providing help to receiving help. One client of the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank shares her story of how her life changed drastically and how she found relief and stability through the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank.
“I am a veteran but feel a little hesitant to say it since I feel I should be in a better financial situation to reveal that. I'm used to being independent and not asking for help, but that has changed also. I've always...READ MORE.
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Recipe for Hope - Thank you! |
Thanks to the generosity of our compassionate community, we met our $250,000 fundraising goal! We want to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone who gave during Recipe for Hope, celebrating our 50th Anniversary! Your generosity helped raise $252,600 towards our mission to fight food insecurity in East King County.
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Did you miss the live-stream? Click below to watch the recording! |
Thank you to our amazing sponsors! With their support, donations received through Recipe for Hope will go directly towards providing basic need resources to our community! Learn more about our sponsors here. |
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Turkey Trot 2021 is Coming Soon!
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It's time to talk turkey!
Plan now to join us for our 2nd ever virtual Turkey Trot event! With 6 courses throughout Issaquah and Sammamish, you can pick one (or more!) to walk, trot, or run over the entire Thanksgiving weekend. Gather your friends and family and let's keep this fun holiday tradition alive! As always, costumes are encouraged and we will even hold an online costume contest!
100% of proceeds will benefit the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank.
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Champion Spotlight: Tom Ehlers
By Bonnie DeCaro-Monahan
Can you think of a conversation where you felt that the person you were speaking with was truly engaged and genuinely cared? That’s what the experience is for anyone who talks to Tom Ehlers about basic human needs. His compassion for others is evident and he wants to be a part of the solution. “The idea that someone is hurting for such a basic need like food or clothing has always struck me as so sad. When I started looking for ways to get more involved in our community, I naturally thought of the food bank.” shared Tom.
It was Tom’s role as a father that first compelled him to engage with the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank. Twelve years ago, while searching for a way...READ MORE.
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Tom with his wife, Lorene. |
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Help make Holiday Gift Barn 2021 a Success! |
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Bring joy to a child this holiday season!
The holidays are coming up! Can you help provide gift cards for Holiday Gift Barn?
This year, we're giving gift cards to participating families to ensure a safe shopping experience for all. Parents are able to pick specific gifts for their children and feel the joy of personally shopping for their families.
We are asking for $25 gift cards to online shopping stores like Target, Fred Meyer, Walmart, and Amazon - our shoppers' top picks that provide online shopping, delivery, and a large variety of gift options for children and teens!
If you're able to help, please register as a donor today! Along with gift cards, financial gifts are also welcome to help us purchase gift cards as needed. You can make your donation online or you can mail checks and gift cards to:
Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank
Attn : Holiday Gift Barn
179 1st Ave SE
Issaquah, WA 98027
Thank you for making this holiday season special for all the families in our community! You can learn more about Holiday Gift Barn this year on our website. |
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Supply Chain Reaction
By Rebecca Rice
The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank seems separate from the food systems that govern grocery stores – after all, we get donations from individuals and grocery stores. We don’t buy food…right?
In fact, the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank purchases a lot of food! We spend about $21,000 every month on food – thanks to the support of our donors, partners, and grant funders – prioritizing the purchase of fresh produce to ensure all our shoppers have plenty of nutritious food items to choose from, as well as essentials we may not receive through individual donations. This means many food banks are facing the same issues...READ MORE.
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Power Packs
Power Packs are back in schools for 2021!
Power Packs contain breakfast, lunch and snack foods to help children needing a little extra food assistance over the weekend and are available at every participating school within the Issaquah School District.
So far, this school year has seen a record increase in the number of Power Packs distributed across the district - over 2,000 packs combined for September and October. This is a 46% increase from the 2019-20 school year, and a 132% increase from 2018-19!
The growth of this program means it costs more than ever before to provide nutritious weekend meal options for kids in our community. Help fight childhood food insecurity and weekend hunger by giving towards Power Packs today! Thank you for your compassion for children in our community! Learn more about Power Packs on our website.
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Food Collection Dates
Thank you for supporting the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank with your in-kind giving! Your donation of specifically needed items is crucial to augmenting supply chain issues and ensuring equity amongst our shoppers. We have two more food donation drop-off dates this year:
- Saturday, November 20th - 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Saturday, December 11th - 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Please make sure to only bring food items that are on our Emergency Needs List as we are extremely limited on space and storage. All donations must be brought to our warehouse:
AtWork
Thank you so much for supporting our shoppers by providing items according to what is needed in our community!
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Support the Food Bank using Amazon Smile!
Do you shop on Amazon?
You can support the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank using Amazon Smile! Select the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank as your non-profit of choice, and a portion of all of your purchases will automatically be donated on behalf of the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank. Thank you!
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Issaquah Sammamish Food Project
Are you looking for an easy way to donate food items or get more involved during the pandemic?
Join dozens of neighbors in their efforts to collect and donate food through the Issaquah Sammamish Food Project! Visit their website to learn more.
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