Mayors ask Eastside residents to donate to local food banks

The mayors of several East King County cities are proclaiming September 24 through October 22 as “Eastside Month of Concern for the Hungry” as part of the annual “Day of Concern for the Hungry” campaign sponsored by the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle & King County.

The proclamations officially launch the annual “Share What You Can” campaign to benefit those served by local food banks and feeding programs. The emphasis is to fill food bank shelves with non-perishable food items as the school season begins. Donation centers include, various community centers, city halls, and fire stations. In addition, on Saturdays throughout the month, volunteers will be collecting food at select grocery stores throughout East King County.

Last year more than 60,000 pounds of food and over $10,000 in cash donations were collected as part of this effort. These donations help local food banks meet the increasing demand for food assistance at a time when many organizations are experiencing significant funding cuts. In fact, Hopelink reported that in 2010 the demand was up by 12 percent and has risen by 47 percent over the past three years.

In participating communities, neighborhood associations, community leaders, faith organizations, businesses, hospitals, and schools are encouraged to rally by hosting food drives and fundraising events and volunteering at hosted stores. Locally, there are a number of food banks serving the Valley:

• Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank, http://mtsifoodbank.org/

• Fall City Food Pantry, http://fallcityfoodpantry.org

• Snoqualmie Tribal Food Bank, Carnation, (425) 333-6560.

For more information on how you can help, visit www.eastsideforum.org/fooddrive or contact Brooke Buckingham at bbuckingham@redmond.gov.

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