OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Thurston County Food Bank’s warehouse is full of food and volunteers, for now.
On Thursday, more than a dozen volunteers, many local students on winter break, filled the Tumwater location sorting food donated by grocery stores.
But CEO Jay Kang said after the new year, things will get quiet. They always do.
“At the end of the year it will go down, and then for a while,” said Kang.
He said he’s “touched” by the volunteer work done by teenagers during their break from school.
“It’s just nice to help people knowing what it’s for,” said Black Hills High School junior Chloe Cooper.
She said she plans on helping out at the warehouse twice a month starting in January.
“It’s just a good deed. It’s good Karma,” said Cooper.
Kang said the Thurston County Food Bank provides food for more than 70,000 clients, about 20% of the county’s population.
He said that’s about twice the amount of people fed 10 years ago.
Kang said donations and volunteer numbers have not increased at the same rate. He said they’re helping more young people, including recent college graduates who have become “couch surfers.”
“Because their loans are expensive and they don’t want to take out a loan,” said Kang, “They’re literally defined as homeless.”
KING 5’s annual Home Team Harvest drive to benefit Northwest Harvest is underway. This year’s goal is to raise 21 million meals.
Ways to donate:
- Online through Northwest Harvest
- Text “HOMETEAM” to 41444
- Starting Nov. 1, visit your local Safeway or Albertsons to give $5, $10 or $12 toward grocery cards.