Let’s keep working to ‘Send Hunger Packing’

New Bremerton Foodline Executive Director Kathy Thayer was overwhelmed with joy as boxes and boxes of food were delivered to the organization last week.

New Bremerton Foodline Executive Director Kathy Thayer was overwhelmed with joy as boxes and boxes of food were delivered to the organization last week.

In true giving spirit, several AmeriCorps volunteers unloaded more than 2,800 pounds of food collected by the faculty and students of Klahowya Secondary School. This is what community is all about. While the Send Hunger Packing food drive has proved to be successful, it’s not over. There are still boxes to be filled at drop-off locations throughout Kitsap County and plenty of hungry families to still feed.

It’s getting down to the wire for the Send Hunger Packing drive, which continues through the end of the month. Local food banks rely heavily on large collection drives to help keeps shelves stocked.

“Things were getting pretty empty,” Thayer said. “We feed 60 to 75 families a day.”

During the holidays, and in these times of economic downturn, there is an additional need to help our hungry neighbors. Just at Bremerton Foodline alone, more than 900 people have already requested Thanksgiving baskets. That’s in addition to the many families the food bank is already assisting. Even if you only donate one can of food; every little bit really does help. There are more than 100 donation sites in the county including all Kitsap Safeway locations, Kitsap Credit Union branches, Walgreens stores and many more. If everyone does a little, it will add up to a lot for those struggling each day to feed their families.