Kiwanis seeks food bank donations

Holidays and winter weather are approaching, and the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank shelves are in danger of becoming as bare as the branches of Sisters' trees.

Donations are encouraged to help feed about 50-60 families in the area (150-200 adults and children).

Boxes are filled with food to sustain a family once a month for five days. Most of these families also obtain food stamps to bolster food needs over the month.

There are about 20-volunteers helping at the food bank.

Sue Edgington, Naomi Rowe and Linda Walker co-chair operations at the food bank. Food comes from the local community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The latter agency provides rice, beans, peanut butter, canned fruit and juices.

Angeline's Bakery and Café provides some food items. Ray's provides donations and discounts on food purchases by the food bank.

"That's why donated money is so useful," said Edgington. "We can purchase food items at a discount and help needy families."

The food bank program was started about 20 years ago by Kiwanis, and it continues today as a community effort.

"We asked some of the local dentists if they had toothpaste to add to the boxes, and they responded admirably with large amounts of that material," said Edgington.

Sisters Drug Co. provides material for the boxes also. Sisters Community Church donates $1,000 per quarter to the food bank. Other churches provide supplies through food drives at the local churches.

With Christmas approaching, the Christmas boxes for needy families have to be filled. High school students will visit homes in the area collecting canned goods for the Christmas boxes.

The Christmas food boxes will contain all the ingredients for a holiday meal, including either a ham or turkey. This costs about $8,000.

The food bank spent about $31,000 in total last year, and $35,000 is projected for this year.

The food bank is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Last Thursday we had 27 people come in for a box of food," said Edgington. "We are seeing more customers at the food bank. We want to thank the community and businesses that donate so generously," said Edgington.

Contribute by sending donations to the Kiwanis Food Bank at P.O. Box 1296, Sisters, Oregon, 97759. Food may be dropped-off at the Food Bank at the corner of Main Avenue and Oak Street.