Day of Caring: Food and blanket drive Jan. 15

By Jacinda Howard • January 6, 2010 1:51 pm

The Diversity Commission will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day food and blanket drive to benefit in-need individuals Jan. 15.

The drive, known as the Day of Caring, will take place at various locations throughout Federal Way. The proceeds will go to the Federal Way Food Bank, operated by the Multi-Service Center, and the Federal Way Senior Center’s food pantry. This is the third consecutive year the drive will take place. Traditionally, it has coincided with the city’s Martin Luther King celebrations. That event will not take place this year due to the lack of volunteers to organize the celebration. However, the Diversity Commission, which annually donates to the MLK Day activities, will continue with its food drive.

The food drive is important because so many people remain in need following the holiday season, Diversity Commission chair Chris Brown said.

“People kind of forget about giving after Christmas time,” he said.

Donation bins will be set up from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at several area grocery stores. AmeriCorps volunteers will assist with the food and blanket drive. In the past two years, more than 9,000 pounds of food and $825 have been collected in association with the food drive.

The Diversity Commission has not set a specific goal for how much it wishes to collect. Brown said the commission will be satisfied to collect any amount of food.

“Anything is good,” Brown said.

Continued need

The food bank continues to see an increase in individuals seeking help, food bank supervisor Terri Turner said. During the bank’s 2009 fourth quarter of operations, October through December, it served 41,846 individuals and 9,607 households, Turner said. In comparison, the number of individuals the food bank served rose 29 percent from 2007’s fourth quarter to the same period in 2009, she said. The number of households served rose 24 percent during the same time periods, Turner said. Comparing 2008 and 2009’s fourth quarters, the numbers of individuals visiting the food bank rose 13 percent and the number of household served rose 12 percent, she said.

Currently, the food bank warehouse is full. That amount of food only lasts a few months, Turner said. More food is needed, she said. Approximately 1.5 pounds of food feeds one adult for one day. About 1 pound feeds a child, age 3-12, for a day, according to the Multi-Service Center’s Food Bank Needs Web page.

“Donations do make a big difference,” Turner said. “It’s amazing how many people are really living on the edge.”

In demand

The food bank accepts non-perishable food items and clothing. In demand items include the following: Canned soups, chili, pork and beans, peanut butter, pasta sauce, canned tuna fish, rice or noodles, canned vegetables, canned tomatoes or tomato sauce, canned or dry beans, cereal or oatmeal, pasta, canned fruit, baby formula, diapers and baby food, according to the Web page.

Items such as pop top cans of food, food that does not require cooking, high energy foods, small soaps and shampoos, personal items, razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste, can openers and plastic spoons and forks are especially needed by homeless persons, according to the Web page.

Community support

Turner said she is impressed that Federal Way residents always seem willing to help those in need. Any time the food bank requests more food, the community responds, she said.

“The community is just unbelievable,” Turner said. “Federal Way just really needs to pat themselves on the back for how they step up and help people.”

Learn more:

• For more information about the Day of Caring, visit the city’s Web site at www.cityoffederalway.com.

• For more information about the Multi-Service Center and Federal Way Food Bank, visit www.multi-servicecenter.com or call (253) 838-6810.

• For help with organizing a food drive, call Terri Turner at (253) 838-6810.

Donate at:

• QFC’s Northshore location, 4101 49th Ave. N.E. Tacoma

• Trader Joe’s, 1758 South 320th Street

• Grocery Outlet, 32945 Pacific Highway S.

• Safeway’s Milton location, 900 E. Meridian Suite 12

• City Hall, 33325 8th Ave. S.

• Federal Way Community Center, 876 South 333rd St.

• EX3 Ron Sandwith Teen Center, 31453 28th Ave. S.