One recent evening, patrons of the Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant in north Spokane were served up a surprise: sliced prime rib with gourmet potatoes and asparagus. Delicious. The food came from the Davenport Hotel – extra banquet meals prepared by chefs in case they ran out. These leftovers were frozen, then delivered to the Free Restaurant where they were reheated and served to guests.

“Their eyes lit up,” said Karen Orlando, the Free Restaurant’s volunteer coordinator. “It offered them some dignity that we prepared that quality of food for them. And that dignity feeds their souls.”

The women and children ate prime rib because of Feed Spokane, a unique collaboration among Spokane restaurants and nonprofits who feed the poor. Every week, an average of 1,000 pounds of leftover food goes from restaurants to meal sites where low-income people – from seniors to homeless folks to street kids – gather.

The initiative started three years ago. When Maurice Smith, executive director of Feed Spokane, approached Arby’s about getting involved early on, Jerry Pederson, Arby’s director of operations, said, “Guys, this is the right thing to do.” That’s been the attitude of everyone involved, Smith says.

Running out of food at a party is a host’s great worry, so some overbuy for gatherings. Then, party over, the guilt kicks in when they see the extra food that didn’t get eaten. Giving away the extra food to guests, or next-door neighbors, can assuage the guilt.

Restaurant chefs and owners feel the same emotions. They sometimes over- prepare, because running out of food at a banquet or a fast-food establishment is neither good hospitality nor good business. It’s harder for restaurants to give away leftovers, because of health and safety regulations.

Spokane Regional Health District was part of the Feed Spokane collaboration, too.

“We worked with them in the beginning to make everything they did comply with the food code and make sure it was safe,” said Julie Graham, district spokeswoman. “Our food program (people) are pretty excited about it and think it’s a great project rather than waste all that good food.”

Feed Spokane is an example of what can happen in a community when people come together to solve seemingly intractable problems, such as hunger. Feed Spokane deserves to grow even bigger.

The Spokane chapter of the Washington State Restaurant Association has urged its members to get involved. The chapter should keep up this important campaign.

On prime rib night at the Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant, there were leftovers in the kitchen. They didn’t go to waste. On the menu the next meal? Beef stroganoff. Delicious.