KINGSTON — After witnessing the bare shelves of the Kingston Food Bank two weeks ago, residents of the North End made sure those shelves weren’t empty for long.
As a result of the community’s generosity, clients of the food bank on West 1st Street will now have stomachs full of turkey and stuffing this week.
“We have all the turkeys for the Thanksgiving food boxes,” said Kingston Food Bank director Vi Weaver.
Two weeks ago, Weaver had no turkeys and barely enough items for her holiday baskets. Now the bank is as satisfied as a full belly on Thanksgiving Day.
The food bank received donations from Wolfle Elementary, Kingston Junior High, individuals and businesses. It also benefited from the various last-minute food drives that started up in mid-November. Weaver noted many of her donations came from Poulsbo residents, too.
With the support of the community, Weaver and her crew were able to create about two dozen Thanksgiving dinners that were given to clients Nov. 24.
“I think everything is going just great, just great,” she said.
A good portion of that support came from the 500 pounds of food and $245 in cash raised through the Pacific Northwest Title Company food drive held earlier this month.
Organizer Laura Chisholm coordinated various real estate companies in Kitsap County to hold a food drive for their respective area food banks.
Chisholm said she was impressed with the variety of items that were donated to Kingston.
“It was nice because it seems like sometimes one food bank will have way too many vegetables or too much Top Ramen,” Chisholm said. “There was such a nice variety of food items on the food list, so it was nice to get that variety.”
Poulsbo’s Fishline benefited from the drives as well. Residents donated 2,000 pounds of food to the food bank in Little Norway.
Terry Burns of Windermere Real Estate held his own food drive in his Forest Rock Hill neighborhood and added about 600 pounds to his company’s contribution.
Based on personal experience with this drive, Chisholm plans to hold three food drives a year, in November, February and June. The latter months are more crucial times of the year for food banks, she said.
“I’m so glad that I did it,” Chisholm reflected. “It was really neat. It really touched me.”
ShareNet Food Bank in Kingston was not forgotten, either and is plugging along this year with more families to feed more than ever, said director Kim Planck.
The organization signed up 130 families for Thanksgiving dinners, while the non-profit normally creates baskets for 100 families. While her shelves were somewhat bare, Planck said she had a feeling the community would come through.
ShareNet received donations from Kingston Junior High and Watson’s Furniture, her two main contributors for Thanksgiving. She also said she appreciated the $1,000 check given to the food bank from “Santa’s Elves.”
“I just ordered more things and the need is bigger this year,” Planck said, adding that she wasn’t overly concerned about coming up short. “It always happens. We always gets plenty (of food).”By TIFFANY ROYAL
Staff Writer
KINGSTON — After witnessing the bare shelves of the Kingston Food Bank two weeks ago, residents of the North End made sure those shelves weren’t empty for long.
As a result of the community’s generosity, clients of the food bank on West 1st Street will now have stomachs full of turkey and stuffing this week.
“We have all the turkeys for the Thanksgiving food boxes,” said Kingston Food Bank director Vi Weaver.
Two weeks ago, Weaver had no turkeys and barely enough items for her holiday baskets. Now the bank is as satisfied as a full belly on Thanksgiving Day.
The food bank received donations from Wolfle Elementary, Kingston Junior High, individuals and businesses. It also benefited from the various last-minute food drives that started up in mid-November. Weaver noted many of her donations came from Poulsbo residents, too.
With the support of the community, Weaver and her crew were able to create about two dozen Thanksgiving dinners that were given to clients Nov. 24.
“I think everything is going just great, just great,” she said.
A good portion of that support came from the 500 pounds of food and $245 in cash raised through the Pacific Northwest Title Company food drive held earlier this month.
Organizer Laura Chisholm coordinated various real estate companies in Kitsap County to hold a food drive for their respective area food banks.
Chisholm said she was impressed with the variety of items that were donated to Kingston.
“It was nice because it seems like sometimes one food bank will have way too many vegetables or too much Top Ramen,” Chisholm said. “There was such a nice variety of food items on the food list, so it was nice to get that variety.”
Poulsbo’s Fishline benefited from the drives as well. Residents donated 2,000 pounds of food to the food bank in Little Norway.
Terry Burns of Windermere Real Estate held his own food drive in his Forest Rock Hill neighborhood and added about 600 pounds to his company’s contribution.
Based on personal experience with this drive, Chisholm plans to hold three food drives a year, in November, February and June. The latter months are more crucial times of the year for food banks, she said.
“I’m so glad that I did it,” Chisholm reflected. “It was really neat. It really touched me.”
ShareNet Food Bank in Kingston was not forgotten, either and is plugging along this year with more families to feed more than ever, said director Kim Planck.
The organization signed up 130 families for Thanksgiving dinners, while the non-profit normally creates baskets for 100 families. While her shelves were somewhat bare, Planck said she had a feeling the community would come through.
ShareNet received donations from Kingston Junior High and Watson’s Furniture, her two main contributors for Thanksgiving. She also said she appreciated the $1,000 check given to the food bank from “Santa’s Elves.”
“I just ordered more things and the need is bigger this year,” Planck said, adding that she wasn’t overly concerned about coming up short. “It always happens. We always gets plenty (of food).”
