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Feed Spokane needs your help to fight hunger

By Lorie Hutson lorieh@spokesman.com(509) 459-5446

If the resolve for New Year’s healthy eating goals is wearing thin, consider this: Maurice Smith, executive director of Feed Spokane is beginning a 40-day fast to draw attention to those who are hungry in our community. He’ll be fasting Wednesday through Palm Sunday which is March 16.

“I think our goal should be nothing less than to eliminate hunger in Spokane. I don’t want to see anyone go hungry due to a lack of options or a lack of available food,” he said in a news release.

Feed Spokane is a nonprofit group that rescues prepared food from local restaurants and delivers it to meal sites which serve those in need. Right now, they work with 22 restaurants and 15 meal sites.

Here’s how you can help:

• Support the “Hang up on Hunger” drive to collect used cell phones. Phones can be dropped off at Spokane Arby’s locations and at The Service Station on North Nevada St. Phones must be less than 4 years old in good working condition and cannot be damaged.

• Restaurants can join the “Adopt-a-Meal Site” campaign to help those sites feed people who need meals.

• Businesses, community organizations and churches can sponsor a food drive during Lent and give collections to local area food banks. Or, promote and become a drop-off location for the used cell phone drive.

• Supermarkets and other food outlets can stop throwing away food and donate prepared perishable and shelf-stable food to area meal sites and food banks.

For more information, go to www.feedspokane.com, e-mail maurice@feedspokane.com or call (509) 475-8797.

Sweethearts for Kids

Local wineries and the Downriver Grill are raising money for the Children’s Home Society of Washington with a dinner and wine tasting on Monday.

Cuisine from the Downriver Grill will be paired with wines from Barrister Winery, Knipprath Cellars, Mountain Dome, Robert Karl Cellars, Townshend Cellar, Vintage Hill Cellars and others. The dinner will be held at Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. from 6 to 9 p.m.

Silent and live auctions also will raise money during the event.

Tickets are $100 each or $175 for a pair. They are available at Children’s Home Society of Washington, 2323 N. Discovery Place; The Downriver Grill, 3315 W. Northwest Blvd. or Barrister Winery.

For more information, call Patrice Pendell at (509) 747-4174 or (509) 327-4383, or e-mail patricependell@yahoo.com.