Brewster Food Bank continues to address families in need

BREWSTER – The cars began lining up by 8 a.m. for the 9 a.m. opening of the Brewster Food Bank at 301 Fourth Street S. last Thursday, Sept. 8. Outside the front door boxes of fruit from Northwest Harvest were neatly stacked awaiting distribution.

Inside, facility manager Dan Biddle and his crew of volunteers had bags of food ready to hand out to the estimated 100-plus customers expected to show up for staples. A week earlier 116 had been served, and 115 the week before that.

“The turnout was a little soft this week,” said Biddle after last Thursday’s distribution, attributing the lower demand to the start of apple harvest. “Pickers are out now and some who are working cannot get here or do not have another vehicle available to do so.”

The Catholic Charity service gets food deliveries from several sources, principal among them Okanogan County Community Action Council (OCCAC) that supplies food to the eight other county food pantries located in Conconully, Nespelem, Okanogan, Omak, Oroville, Twisp/Methow, and Wauconda. Second Harvest Inland Northwest in Spokane also makes scheduled food pantry deliveries.

Food drives and donations contributed by the local schools, businesses, service organizations, and private citizens have been critical in keeping the food coffers supplied. Last year, the Senior Farmers Nutrition Program distributed $70,050 in vouchers for low-income seniors. These vouchers were used at local farmers markets to ensure seniors had access to fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the Brewster Food Bank Facebook website. Food For All administers the federal program in Spokane County under a contract with Aging and Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington.           

Applications are now open. Visit the website at .cceasternwa.org/food-for-all for more information.