By MARY NADER

It takes a certain kind of generous spirit to see within every act an opportunity to serve and help. Such was the case for a local couple who recently helped North Kitsap Fishline Food Bank in a most unusual way.

While having a dinner of Costco rotisserie chicken, this couple so enjoyed the chicken and the prospect of another meal of leftovers that they wondered to themselves how they could share this joy with others not able to afford it.

That’s when they contacted Fishline with a unique offer. They would donate enough money to cover the costs needed to purchase 250 Costco chickens, 200 of which would go to Fishline clients and 50 to Bainbridge Island Helpline House. The donors asked if we could include some instructions on how to prepare healthy recipes with the chicken and also how to stretch the chicken for several meals, which Helpline House’s nutritionist gladly agreed to develop.

When Costco was contacted with the idea, they too were happy to help. But with an order this large, special provisions had to be made, from ordering extra birds to asking staff to start cooking them at 4 a.m. so they were ready for us that day.  They made the extra effort with enthusiasm and even threw in a Costco gift card that would be won by the client who picked out the lucky chicken.

It all came together, and on one happy Wednesday, Fishline clients received 1-2 cooked chickens as a surprise treat. They were thrilled, as many clients had never had the experience of enjoying these in the past. A nearly festive environment resulted, and it took just one day to distribute all 200 chickens when clients visited the food bank.

What started as a little idea — a belief that joys should be shared — turned into a memorable experience for Fishline staff, volunteers and clients.

— Mary Nader is executive director of North Kitsap Fishline. Contact her at director@nkfishline.org