ShareNet has been elected to serve on the Membership Agency Council of Food Lifeline, Washington’s leading hunger relief agency.
ShareNet will represent the more than 30 agencies or programs associated with hunger issues in Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam counties. These range from food banks and assistance agencies like ShareNet to broader programs involving senior and youth care or homeless shelters such as OlyCAP — Olympic Community Action Programs — and Serenity House.
Food Lifeline is in turn an affiliate of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-fighting organization. Accessing these networks allows ShareNet to leverage its mostly local contributions, and have an unparalleled buying power for the 85 percent of its food stock which must be purchased, often spending as little as 17 cents per pound.
Food Lifeline itself is a remarkably efficient organization. Of every dollar donate, 95 cents goes to procuring and distributing food and 93 percent of this food is donated from sources where it would otherwise go to waste. In other words, it’s perfectly edible but no longer marketable.
When ShareNet buys through them, we are paying only for the transportation cost, not the food itself. Moreover, Food Lifeline is committed to sourcing as close to local as possible, meaning food is typically not hauled long distances.
Membership in these networks also keeps ShareNet at the front of important issues affecting our services, such as the new “Missing Meals” methodology for measuring hunger or the federal 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization — see www.schoolnutrition.org — in which the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children are in jeopardy unless renewed.
New board members
In July, ShareNet welcomed two new board members, Janet Tucker and Michelle Warnes.
ShareNet looks for board members who have the room in their lives to be active participants in ShareNet’s mission to fight hunger in our corner of Kitsap County and who bring expertise to an area.
Tucker is a certified public accountant with more than 30 years experience, who has worked throughout the Northwest.
She now works as a part time controller and has her own company providing controllership accounting services for several clients. Her passion is children, which fits nicely with ShareNet’s strong service to children in our area.
“The heart of ShareNet to meet people where they are and help is also my heart,” Tucker said.
Meeting people “where they are,” providing service and compassion without judgment is important to ShareNet, and woven into our agency practices. Yes, we have to perform faithful vetting to ensure we are sound stewards of the community’s donations and make sure our never enough dollars are best spent, but we are also aware of the immediacy and urgency in our services, particularly when it comes to hungry children.
Tucker also believes strongly in teaching “financial freedom skills” and hopes to have an opportunity to reactivate our learning series with financial literacy classes for our community.
Warnes was born and raised in Billings, Mont. She is currently on pause from the financial services industry, where her practice was in business and estate planning.
She has presented at more than 250 financial workshops. Her charitable service includes serving as chair of several large fundraising events as a board member at Billings Catholic Schools, and on the executive board for Women in Financial Services.
Warnes has been touched by the involvement of Board President Rex Gallaher, who works tirelessly on ShareNet’s behalf, and ShareNet’s mission to fight hunger and respect the dignity of those we serve.
