It is rough growing old. Not only may you move slower and fear falling, you may also need assistance buying food and paying bills.

Mark Ince, director of ShareNet in Kingston, said an unusual statistic is the increase of more than 20 percent of seniors needing assistance. He said the seniors on fixed incomes are being hit the hardest with rising prices and limited opportunities to supplement their income.

ShareNet provides more than food. It offers financial assistance for utilities, rent and emergencies. The food bank also has Food2Go, which provides basic nutritional needs to school children, and Fresh Start, a hygiene program that offers full, unused sizes of everything from soap to sunscreen and dishwashing liquid.

Last year ShareNet provided 10,083 individual services utilizing 7,992 volunteer hours. It distributed 458,488 pounds of food. Local gardeners, including Poulsbo Lions working in their Firehouse Garden, donated 6,185 pounds of fresh produce.

ShareNet was started in 1993 by volunteers at Bayside Community Church in Kingston. It moved to a building on United Road for more space for several years, and added a small thrift store. In 2021, ShareNet moved again to the current location on Barber Cut-off Road. That location allows for a larger thrift store next to the food bank.

The Bellringer Fund so far has raised $2,045 in contributions and hopes to raise $25,000 to support the agencies that support everyone from at-risk children to veterans to the unhoused.

You can contribute to the Poulsbo Lions Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund by visiting https://poulsbolions.blogspot.com and clicking on the donate button; or donate via PayPal to poulsbolions@gmail.com to use a credit/debit card; or mail a check to Poulsbo Lions, P.O. Box 1244, Poulsbo WA 98370.

Donations made this past week include: Stephan and Kristi Growdon in memory of Jin and Elaine Turner; Charles B. and Pamela Hamon; and Karl and Pauline Ostheller.