January 23, 2015
CapitalPress.com
Expo visitors help food
drive ‘dump’ hunger
Need continues after holiday season
Capital Press
Western States Equip-
ment hopes Spokane Ag
Expo visitors will help
the company collect seven
dump truck loads of food
this year, marking its sev-
enth annual Dump Hunger
food drive.
The company-sponsored
food drive returns to the
Expo this year. Since 2008,
the drive has collected near-
ly 3.4 million pounds of
food, which goes to food
banks in Eastern Wash-
ington and Oregon, Idaho,
Montana and Western Wy-
oming.
Each
year
Western
States increases its goal.
Last year, the drive col-
lected the equivalent of six
truckloads of food.
This year, the company
hopes to collect 525,000
pounds, or seven truck-
loads. That amount of
food will provide roughly
437,000 meals to people in
need.
The company is seeking
canned or dry goods or cash
donations.
Western States market-
ing coordinator Whitney
Mustin said the drive is
especially timely, as food
bank donations tend to drop
off following the holiday
season.
“As we get more into
the deep part of the winter
months, the food bank lines
continue to get a little bit
longer, quite frankly,” said
Rod Wieber, chief resource
officer for Second Harvest
in Spokane. “Donations,
though, start to slow down.
I think it’s just not top-of-
mind.”
Heating bills and other
expenses increase during
the winter, so people have
to rely on local food banks
to stretch their budgets,
Wieber said.
The Expo provides a
good opportunity to collect
monetary donations, Wieber
said.
For each dollar donated,
Second Harvest can provide
five meals to a family in
need, he said.
Many Expo attendees
are from rural communi-
ties, where Second Har-
vest distributes food, he
said.
“They’ll be helping out
their neighbors and commu-
nities,” he said.
According to a Western
States press release, food
donations can also be made
at any Western States loca-
tion.
Spokane Ag Expo
Online
www.westernstatescat.com
Monetary donations can be
made online through partici-
pating food banks.
The biggest need is for
boxed meals such as maca-
roni and cheese; peanut but-
ter; canned fruit, soup, chili,
stew or vegetables; cereal;
dried beans; pasta; pasta
sauce; rice; and stuffing mix.
“As a company, we ap-
preciate any help (farmers
and ranchers) are able to do,
and we know the food banks
appreciate it,” Mustin said.
“It’s going to go to families
in need.”
The company plans to
continue the drive beyond
2015.
“It’s successful and
it helps all of the com-
munities
out,”
Mustin
said.
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