OLYMPIA – A donation of 1,000 pounds of food to the Thurston County Food Bank goes a long way for an organization that has seen demand for its services increase about 20 percent in the past year.

The dry goods, canned food and condiments came Friday courtesy of the Weight Watchers center in west Olympia. Members there, participating in a national Weight Watchers campaign called “Lose for Good,” donated food for weight lost from August through mid-October, said Pam Leonard, a Weight Watchers employee and the volunteer coordinator for Friday’s donation.

As the food was delivered to the downtown Olympia food bank, a long line of people waited to get free food. Thurston County Food Bank Executive Director Robert Coit said demand is up 20 percent, and most of that has come from first-time food bank users. Food drive donations are down, and cash donations are holding steady, although Coit said he is using that money to buy food that the organization is not getting from food drives.

Friday’s Weight Watchers donation helps a lot, he said.

“Every pound makes a difference right now,” Coit said.

The food bank serves about 3,200 families a month or about 8,000 people, he said.

Although demand is up and donations are down, Coit hopes for a strong fourth quarter because the holidays help raise community awareness about donations and those in need, he said.

Louanne Bay, who was at the food bank Friday with her husband, Ron, picks up food weekly, she said. Louanne lost her job a year ago, so she, her two children and her husband are living off his retirement benefits. They rent a duplex and live on about $2,200 a month, although money still is tight, she said. They also have turned to their church and The Salvation Army for assistance, Louanne said.

“We’re a typical American family just trying to make it,” she said.

Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403

rboone@theolympian.com

THE FOOD BANK

DOWNTOWN LOCATION: 220 N.E. Thurston Ave., Olympia

HOURS OF OPERATION: 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 5 to 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month

NEEDS: Peanut butter; protein-rich canned food such as beef stew, tuna and chili with meat

MORE INFORMATION: Call 360-352-8597 or go to www.thurstoncountyfoodbank.org.