Fighting hunger year-round
Second Harvest volunteer Erick Pierce grabs boxes of Ritz Crackers to pass out to cars at the Community Library Network food giveaway Wednesday. (MADISON HARDY/Press)
From left, Paisley, Nellie, and Katie Keller fill boxes with dry goods like bread, hamburger buns and pasta at the Second Harvest and Hayden Library food distribution Wednesday afternoon. (MADISON HARDY/Press)
Through a partnership between Second Harvest and the Community Library Network, many local families are getting fed.
On Wednesday afternoon, two trucks hauled about 18,000 pounds of food into the Hayden Library parking lot on Government Way, with the hopes of passing out 300 meals to 150 families. It was the first in a series of food giveaways between the library and Second Harvest, who plan to host one event per week at network libraries in neighboring cities.
Hayden Library’s Youth Services Outreach Specialist Kelsey Mack brought up the idea with her husband, who works at Second Harvest.
“I thought it would be great if we had something like this in our area. I called Second Harvest, and they got right on it,” Mack said. “We’ve had a bunch of families come through, so we’re really happy to partner with them and provide this service to the community.”
In Idaho, one in six adults is expected to go hungry. For children, it's one in four.
After a year of rising unemployment, Feeding America — the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization — expects a 16% to 22% increase in Idaho’s food insecurity.
“Right now, the need for food is greater than usual,” Second Harvest Program Manager Todd Kennedy said. “We have a lot of food, tons of food, and were looking for new locations. Then Kelsey came along.”
Cars that drove up Wednesday received a box of dry goods and more. Kennedy said most of it is donated, coming from major grocers like URM Stores, Safeway and Walmart.
Through COVID grant funding from Idaho and Washington, Kennedy said Second Harvest purchased more food — which means feeding more people.
“Usually during the winter, we slow down because of the weather, but this year I’m going full speed,” he said. “This will be the first winter I’ve worked all the way through."
Next Wednesday, the pickup site will be the Post Falls Library on Spokane Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The food giveaway is open to the public, with no appointment or documentation required. Calendar updates and information will be available on the Community Library Network Facebook pages.
“The families are so grateful,” Mack said. “I’ve had several families tell me that they’re struggling with eviction notices today and are just happy for some food. We’re trying to take some of that stress away.”
