Bombu Barber owner hosts food drive, reflective of Buddhist spiritual practices he holds near

Throughout this holiday season, Jefferson Workman, owner of Bombu Barber, will be collecting nonperishables for Second Harvest to support less fortunate families in Spokane.

Workman and his wife, Marnie Taylor, were inspired to start collecting food after seeing the current administration’s “lack of or desire to provide a social safety net for families vulnerable to poverty and the economic shocks that our country and local communities are facing at this moment.”

Workman, who is a Buddhist, said the food drive is reflected in his spiritual practices through the acknowledgment that “we exist in a vast network of life, and we are continuously the recipients of the generosity of others.”

“This interdependence provides a sense of community and common purpose in understanding the dignity of humanity rises and falls with individual action,” he said. “The practice of generosity, in this case helping to feed our struggling Spokane families, is our action.”

According to Spokane Trends, around 13% of people living in Spokane County faced food insecurity from 2019-23.

Workman said he thinks donating to a food drive is an expression of compassion and generosity to help alleviate suffering and support those in need that may be less fortunate than others.

“We should want to be good stewards of our community. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

According to a 2022 report from Second Harvest Inland Northwest, 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger, and 1 in 6 children face chronic food shortages at home. In the same report, the nonprofit distributed over 35 million pounds of food and they served 26 counties.

Some of the nonprofit’s most-needed items include peanut butter or other nut butters, canned chicken or tuna, canned vegetables, canned fruit, dried pasta, uncooked rice, canned or dried beans and cereal.

“It is important in trying times for people to come together and support each other, show kindness, compassion and build community,” Taylor said. “That is what I hope we are doing in our own small way.”

As of last Friday, clients, friends and family have donated over 300 items for the food drive so far. While this is the first time Workman’s shop has done a food drive, he does not think it will be the last.

Both clients and nonclients are welcome to donate. They can drop off their donations during business hours.

Interested donors have until before Christmas to drop off donations.

This story was written in partnership with FāVS News, a nonprofit newsroom covering faith and values in the Inland Northwest.