Royal City area receiving free food

ROYAL CITY — Royal Slope families who struggle to put food on their table will get a boost next Thursday, Aug. 25, from a free food distribution.

Microsoft Datacenter Operations in Quincy is cosponsoring the Second Harvest Mobile Food Bank distribution. It will take place at two abutting large parking lots – Lions Park and New Life Fellowship Church.

Both are on Camelia Street. The food distribution will start at noon. No appointments are required; no documentation is necessary.

“Some combination of fresh produce, grocery items, perhaps some frozen meats and vegetables, will be distributed freely to households in need of food assistance,” said Columbia Data Center Project Manager Jack Eaton.

In the past, food items have included potatoes, carrots, onions, breads, dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas), dried split peas, frozen green beans, frozen chicken, frozen beef patties, 2-percent milk, frozen french fries, organic chicken broth, plums, bell peppers, oranges, apples, etc.

These events have typically distributed between 8,000 and 11,000 pounds of food to hundreds of households, Eaton said. Food items will vary based on availability.

“Food is generously donated by farmers, producers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, both locally and regionally,” Eaton said.

Second Harvest food distributions have been cosponsored by Microsoft this year in Quincy (2), Ephrata, Moses Lake (2), Warden and Mattawa.

About two dozen volunteers will be needed from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Volunteers may contact Jack Eaton at 509 787 6352 or jeaton@microsoft.com to volunteer.

Businesses, organizations or individuals interested in contributing toward the costs of these events are also invited to contact Jack Eaton. Or they can make donations directly to Second Harvest of the Inland Northwest, 1234 East Front Avenue, Spokane WA 99202. Second Harvest of the Inland Northwest is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organization eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.

Financial and/or volunteer support has come from Yahoo! Quincy Data Center, Intuit Quincy Data Center, Dell (Schneider) Quincy Data Center, Vantage Data Center, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Grace Lutheran Church, Thrivent Financial, Washington Trust Bank, Serve Quincy Valley,

OIC Opportunities Industrialization Center, Quincy Rotary, Quincy Chamber of Commerce, Mattawa Community Medical Clinic, City of Warden, USBank, Wilbur Ellis, Quincy Valley Post Register, Light of Larson, Grant County Public Utility District,

Mattawa Food Bank, Royal City Food Bank, Warden Food Bank, Warden Police Department, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Northwest Farm Credit Services, Moses Lake School District, Quincy School District, and many other donors and volunteers.