Serve Wenatchee Serving Need With Two Big Projects

Serve Wenatchee is tackling food insecurity and helping families send kids back to school with a new outfit and backpack over the next couple of months.

Executive Director Thom Nees says Serve Wenatchee will partner with Grocery Outlet in Wenatchee's Independence From Hunger Campaign during July

In August, Serve Wenatchee joins CVCH (Columbia Valley Community Health), Numerica Credit Union, Community Health Plan, Molina Healthcare for the Clothes For The Classrooom distribution hosted by Saddlerock Church in Wenatchee

To kickoff the Independence From Hunger campaign, Nees said Wenatchee Police Department and Wenatchee Valley Fire are engaging in a friendly fundraising element on June 28th.

One representative from each Department will have will have three minutes to go shopping in Grocery Outlet and whichever "shopper" saves the most according to the receipt will be declared the winner and receive a trophy but the proceeds of the shopping carts are going to be donated to Serve Wenatchee's Fresh Hope Market Food Pantry.  Grocery Outlet has chosen Serve Wenatchee as the beneficiary of Independence From Hunger Program throughout the month of July.

Nees says Serve Wenatchee is serving close to 2,000 individual families with food each year through the Fresh Hope Food pantry where people can choose the items they would like rather than being given a box of staples.

Fresh Hope market works closely to meet food insecurity with a variety of organizations like Community Action Council, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Wenatchee Rescue Mission because no individual charity can meet all the need in the community.

The Clothes For The Classroom has been around in various formats for approximately 18 years, according to Nees.

"We're doing it very similar to last year. We've got a great partner in CVC H and they are providing backpacks and school supplies and Serve Wenatchee is going to be delivering the clothing.  And then there's going to be a health fair, face painting and a fun atmosphere this year as it was last year.  The date is August 12th,  just leading up to the beginning of school this year, and we're endeavoring to serve 1000 children through this program."

Registration for The Clothes For The Classroom distribution is underway and open to all registered students in K-12 in the Wenatchee and Eastmont School Districts.

Nees says parents should have received emails with registration information. Families living within the Wenatchee and Eastmont district boundaries should check their email for more information about this. Registration is also available online and donations can be made at ServeWenatchee.org