POULSBO — For years, North Kitsap Fishline has helped stock community pantries, but now it’s moved into the kitchen with a cookbook of its own.
“Cook food to buy food,†commented Fishline Executive Director Sharon Kirkpatrick as she joined Miss Kingston Andrea Strunk at Key Bank’s 10th Avenue branch Monday morning to sell a portion of the 1,000 first-run of the 150-page books.
“I’ve already sold four and I’ve only been here since 11 (a.m.),†said Strunk as she quickly made another sale to bring her total to five in one hour.
Promoting the books is another part of her efforts to increase awareness of the food bank and help with its fund-raising endeavors, she said.
“All of the proceeds will go to buy food needed for people that isn’t donated by the community,†Strunk explained, noting that sometimes donations don’t cover all the items necessary to help those in need.
Sales of the books, which cost $15, will continue throughout the year and are just a small part of Key Bank’s involvement with the food bank, Kirkpatrick remarked.
Volunteers from Key Bank spent half a day on Tuesday preparing emergency food boxes and doing other tasks as part of its annual Neighbors Making A Difference Day.
“Every year, we choose a charity and ours has always been Fishline,†explained client relations specialist Casey Wohlwend.
As part of this year’s effort, Key Bank will be selling the cookbooks until Oct. 31 in addition to providing other support, Wohlwend said.
“We started selling them last week and we’ve already sold 10,†she said.
For Kirkpatrick, the books represent the culmination of countless hours of hard work by volunteers and staff.
“We ordered 1,000 books and we’re hoping to make a profit of $1,200 or more,†she explained.
All of the recipes come from volunteers, staff and even clients who the organization serves, Kirkpatrick said.
“We’ve got everything from main dishes to desserts and it also includes recipes clients can use with the food they get from the food bank,†she said.
Recipes range from potato casserole to scrumptious desserts to a friendship cake.
The books will be on sale throughout the year and make great gifts during the holiday season, Kirkpatrick commented.
“We might do it once a year and add new recipes if we can get the community behind us,†she said.
