NORTHWEST FLOODS LEAVE FOOD BANKS DRY
Food Lifeline Appeals for Food Bank Donations in Wake of Natural Disaster
Shoreline, WA, Dec. 6, 2007 - SEATTLE - Food Lifeline, the largest hunger relief organization in Washington, is asking the community for food and monetary donations to help those impacted by the Pacific Northwest's severe flooding. Food banks are in need of food to support the many families who have been displaced due to the natural disaster.
As the Western Washington member of America's Second Harvest, Food Lifeline activates its extensive national network to respond with food, funds, equipment, and staff to provide food resources that will reach agencies working to meet the increased needs of hungry people in times of disaster.
Communities located in Grays Harbor, Lewis, and Pacific Counties have been the most significantly impacted, in addition to the city of Rochester in Thurston County. Between those counties, approximately 20 Food Lifeline member food banks are experiencing an increased need for food and basic necessities. In these counties, Food Lifeline helps feed more than 15,000 individual people annually. The flooding has impacted people across all socio-economic levels. Many families have lost wages and possessions. Local food banks are experiencing an increased need for food and basic necessities as families start rebuilding. Food Lifeline is currently assessing the additional needs of the other Western Washington agencies that have been impacted by the floods.
In this time of need, the public is encouraged to donate non-perishable food such as canned stew, canned soup, and protein items as well as sealed cases of baby food, and diapers. Food Lifeline has presently secured 42,000 pounds of bottled water and 43,000 ready-to-eat-meals for disaster relief from the America's Second Harvest Network. Food Lifeline is also in need of monetary donations to procure transportation, gas, and operation personnel to ship supplies to the affected counties.
The public can donate directly to Food Lifeline's Shoreline Center at 1702 NE 150th Street between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or call (206) 545-6600.
For additional details about Food Lifeline's disaster response and how to support those efforts, please visit www.foodlifeline.org
About Food Lifeline
Food Lifeline is Washington's largest hunger relief organization, distributing food to 300 neighborhood food banks, shelters and hot meal programs in Western Washington. Each year, Food Lifeline feeds over half a million hungry people - 37 percent of whom are children. Food Lifeline is a member of America's Second Harvest, the Nation's Food Bank Network, the largest hunger relief organization in the United States. Only five percent of every financial donation is used for administrative costs and the return on investment is significant: for every $1 donated Food Lifeline provides 5 meals to hungry people.
Contact Information
Media contacts:
Christy Luther
Richmond Public Relations
(206) 682-6979
christyl@richmondpr.com
Return