Fast will draw attention to hunger

Starting today, Maurice Smith won’t eat anything for 40 days.

The executive director of Feed Spokane will fast during Lent to draw attention to efforts to feed hungry people in the community.

“We’ve entered the ‘lean season’ now that the holidays are over,” Smith said in a news release. “The attention of the public is elsewhere. Food supplies are down significantly, but the problem of hunger is growing, particularly among the working poor.”

Feed Spokane is a nonprofit group that rescues prepared food from local restaurants and delivers it to kitchens where those in need come for meals. They work with 25 local restaurants and deliver food to 30 area meal sites.

While he’s fasting, Smith is challenging others to take steps to help his cause:

• Support the Greater Spokane Dietetic Association’s “Dine Out to Feed Spokane” during March. Participating restaurants will donate a percentage of sales to Feed Spokane. This year’s list of participating restaurants is long. Find two pages of details at www.nutritionwsda.org/GSDA or the list published in The Spokesman-Review.

• Skip a meal and donate. Remind yourself what it feels like to be hungry and then donate the cost of the meal to an agency that feeds those who need help.

• Sponsor a food drive and give the collection to local food banks.

• Eliminate food waste at businesses by donating prepared and perishable food items to Feed Spokane for distribution.

This will be the second time Smith has done the 40-day fast. He’ll write about his experience on both Facebook and Twitter. Find him at Housechurchdog on Twitter or under Feed Spokane on Facebook.

Reach Smith at maurice@ feedspokane.com or (509) 216-7364.