Look for the ShareNet Food Bank and Thrift Store in the Kingston Fourth of July parade!

The Kingston community reached out to ShareNet in a big way last month when Linda Wiley and Margaret LeMay of American Marine Bank had the idea of a food drive, and challenged their neighbors at Windermere Real Estate to a contest of who could collect the most food. More people participated than we can name here, but the ladies at American Marine Bank eventually prevailed over Scott Anderson and the Windermere team, together collecting over 2,000 pounds of food and hygiene items from community donations, and then delivering the goods to ShareNet.

This was an amazing turnout for private organizations, especially when we consider it followed closely on the heels of the postal food drive. Kingston reached deep into its cupboards and pantries to help us out on this one, and many people purchased items needed for the food bank rather than donate from a surplus at home, meaning they reached deep into their pockets as well. It speaks to the generosity of the American Marine Bank and Windermere employees, who took their time to organize, promote, and do the hard labor associated with collecting and transporting food, and they couldn’t have done it without the community joining the effort in a big way.

The deal was the loser had to buy the loser dinner, and we’re hoping to share this event with the community in the form of a BBQ hosted by all three organizations later this summer.

For some people, hygiene or laundry products are not intuitive when they think of food banks, however it is an area often understocked here, yet needed by our clients. We appreciate the donations of unscented products particularly, as these are safer for children and persons allergic to fragrance.

Our Thrift Store is also experiencing the generosity of the community as donations typically rise in summer months, and we often receive the overflow from garage sales. Please consider us after your garage sale if the store is open, your items are eligible for resale and in good condition, and remember our evening hours (open now until 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays).

For more information, contact ShareNet at (360) 297-2266 or go to www.sharenetfoodbank.org.