Kitsap Harvest is a gleaning project that is building infrastructure in Kitsap County to support sustainable work into the future.
On June 15, ShareNet did its last food delivery of the regular school year to our four local public schools.
The Giving Garden will put out the call for specific seeds or seedlings among their network. By the end of March, volunteers will be on to weed control, mowing, moving vertical supports, tilling beds, and doing a tool inventory.
The programs that ShareNet has been able to bring to the greater Kingston area since 2008 are all dependent on funding from local residents and businesses. Programs like F2GO (Food to Grow On in our four local public schools), Crisis Assistance (energy shutoff and eviction prevention), and Fresh Look (produce distribution) are all funded through donations made by people like you.
As Thanksgiving rolls around, our collective ShareNet mind is mostly on the preparations necessary to serve about 200 families for the holiday. But we also think of the many partnerships we are grateful for this year, and the many unsung heroes in the ShareNet community.
Recently, former food bank client Debbie Howard came by to tell us how much she appreciated our help when she was in trouble.
Before it happened to her, she may have had some preconceived ideas of what a food bank client was like: maybe they were lazy or didn’t try hard enough. Then, a series of unexpected events in her life turned her into a food bank client.
Food banks all over the county have been contacted with offers to pick plums or glean from other overabundant harvests. The grower or property owner has a distribution problem and is attempting to make sure the fruit doesn’t go to waste.
Last week, the Kitsap County Food Bank Coalition launched a long-overdue Facebook page. the coalition felt it was finally time to branch out from an infrequently updated website and help get further word out about the good work being done by member agencies.
There are several important programs available through farmers markets that can benefit food bank clients. The Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides benefits to seniors and WIC (supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children) participants.
At our April 29 community conversation on hunger, Kathy Curry of the Kingston Farm and Garden Co-op joined us to give perspective on their Giving Garden, which benefits local residents in need.
Neighbor Aid 2014 raised $57,056, and we are grateful for every dollar and every person who thought of us and the folks we serve during this critical time of year.
When I worked in social services in Seattle, first as a housing advocate for low-income and homeless populations, and then as a case manager for at-risk youth, I got to see firsthand how many entities work together to address social problems with deep roots.
ShareNet’s calendar, usually relentless anyway, kicks into even higher gear September-December. It falls into three main categories: community partnerships and sponsorships, seasonal events, and administrative deadlines.
A lot of powerful stories come through ShareNet throughout the year. Some are shared verbally, some by phone or email, some left anonymously in a note or voicemail.
The harvest record of pounds of food produced by the Giving Garden of Kingston Farm and Garden Co-op is set to be broken in 2014.
ShareNet supplies more than 100 students with items they need for the school year
Recently, ShareNet had an opportunity to connect with Leanne Brown, a food studies scholar and avid home cook who wrote “Good and Cheap,” a cookbook aimed at restricted-income readers, structured around the idea of putting three meals on the table for $4 per day.
David Dixon volunteers in two roles at ShareNet: as a Thrift Store shift lead and as a Grocery Rescue worker
Wolfle Elementary School held two important parenting classes on April 10 and 17.
Ed Ramey volunteers with ShareNet’s Grocery Rescue program and makes donations of infant supplies. His wife, Joy, fills in for him when needed.
