On behalf of all of us at the South Kitsap Helpline, I would like to thank our community for the tremendous support we received this past year. Our small town never fails to amaze me with the big generosity and goodwill it extends to all, particularly to those in our community who are struggling and in crisis.

With your help, our non-profit agency was able to distribute approximately 1.3 million pounds of food through our food bank to more than 15,000 local households in need during this past year. As a donation-based program, almost all of that was donated by you, our generous neighbors. The necessary food we didn’t receive through donations was able to be purchased because of the generous financial contributions and grants we received.

Over the holidays of 2013, our food bank provided 1,214 local households with the groceries to help them prepare their Thanksgiving meals. For Christmas, 1,115 local households received groceries for Christmas meals and more than 1,000 local children ages 0-16 received new holiday gifts and toys through our Giving Tree program.

We had countless local individuals, businesses, clubs, fraternal organizations, civic groups, schools and churches doing food and fund drives. Many were specifically collecting cranberries, canned vegetables, gravy, jell-o and stuffing to put in the holiday food baskets.

Thousands of new toys and gifts were donated from our Giving Trees that local businesses kindly put up for customers and patrons who wanted to help. Local grocery stores generously offered the space for food drives in their lobbies where volunteers also collected funds to help with the purchase of pre-prepared turkey and ham dinners for hungry families. Generous donations were made by so many to assist with the purchase of food and other supplies needed. Hundreds of volunteers generously dedicated time to helping out in whatever capacity they were needed. So many people helped in so many ways.

We are very fortunate to live in an area that helps to support the people who live here the way this community does. Not all food banks and social service programs that depend on the generosity of others to help them carry out their mission are as lucky as we are.

Thank you to everyone who contributes to the work we do here at the South Kitsap Helpline. What we can accomplish is only possible because of your help. We are so grateful to have such incredible community partnerships. Together, we all make a really great team.

We wish you all a wonderful 2014!

Jennifer Hardison, Executive Director of South Kitsap Helpline