Rotary ‘Soup & Sandwich’ drive fills food bank shelves with canned goods cornucopia

One of Gig Harbor’s three Rotary clubs set out to gather 2,500 cans of soup for local food banks. They wound up with 5,000 cans and more than $1,500 in cash.

“The food banks are under tremendous strain right now, said Gunda Meissner, president of Midday Rotary. “The need is greater than the inventory, so our Soup & Sandwich Drive happened at a perfect time. “

Each club member was asked to reach out to business associates, friends, colleagues, and family with a simple email message asking for a contribution of hearty-style canned meals, or high-protein cans of chicken, tuna, spam, or other sandwich makings. The goal was set at 50 items per club member to reach 2500 cans.

The Midday Rotarians also held three donation-drop events at local grocery stores which created buzz. A shopper at a local Fred Meyer store emptied all $70 in her wallet to help, Meissner said. Many people remarked that it felt good to do something positive for kids and hunger during the Covid shutdown.

Gig Harbor Timberland Bank served as a central drop-off location and even invited bank customers to participate.

“The result far exceeded the goal,” Meissner said. Cases of peanut butter, canned chicken, tuna, spam, and hearty chilis, stews, and soups came in through club members’ circles.

All monies and food were distributed to two local food banks — Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH and the Bischoff Food Bank —and Backpacks4Kids on the Key Peninsula.

“Since most students are distance-learning, the local Backpack4Kids is providing weekly bags of groceries to the families they serve, an estimated 1,000 people a week,” said Messner. The Bischoff Food Bank on the Key Peninsula has been hit particularly hard during the Covid restriction, she added. One volunteer told her, “Families are out of work, out of money and out of options. This food really helps.”

For more information on Gig Harbor Rotary Midday, visit their website at https://portal.clubrunner.ca/793/

This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 5:30 AM.