Key Peninsula Lions also pitch in to help community food bank
Tuesday, November 24, both masked against COVID 19, Key Peninsula Lions Club Secretary Monica Wolverton provided Key Peninsula Community Services Board President Marcia Harris a check for $1,000 from KP Lions Club members to help with the many community supportive activities of the KPCS. Harris accepted it on behalf of the KPCS Board of Directors
”The food bank serves as a vital and much needed organization in our community and we feel honored to be able to assist in its mission,” noted Wolverton.
Said Harris, “Thanksgiving week, the Key Peninsula Lions Club made a significant contribution to the Key Peninsula Food Bank and Senior Center. KPCS provides meals for KP seniors, food baskets to families in need and with the assistance of The Mustard Seed Project, delivers meals and food to seniors lacking transportation. During October, KPCS provided 891 senior meals and distributed food to 1,191 households, many of which are homes to kids. With the financial assistance of Pierce County agencies, meals have been available through expanding the senior lunch program from two to four days a week. COVID 19 funds for feeding the hungry will end December 31. The generous gift from the KP Lions will enable us to extend serving the COVID 19-impacted community into 2021.
KPCS/Food Bank/Senior Center in the town of Home has received a lot of well-deserved attention lately — only partly because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Last week’s Kids’ Corner told of members of the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Club giving a much-appreciated hand with gardening, wheelchair ramp renovations, and an exchange of Kiwanis diapers for KPCS COVID 19 protective facial masks.
KPCS Executive Director, Willow Eaton, explained, “Our Food Bank and Senior Meal Program did not miss one day of service throughout the strict COVID 19 precautions that began in March. Our Senior Meal Program serves meals to KP Seniors (60years+) four days per week via drive-through service at the Center, or home delivery. Our Food Bank is open four days per week for food baskets and commodities. Our Bread Closet remains open 24/7 until the food is gone.
”Now, with the reinstatement of strict COVID 19 precautions, we foresee an even greater increase in need than we’ve already had,” added Eaton. “The National Guard has been assisting us since April 2020. We are very fortunate to have the Guard here as our volunteer base is well over 60 years, and at high risk. We are hoping they will be able to stay until Pierce County is firmly in Phase 4 and we are able to open somewhat normally.”
“Relieving hunger is a call to action for every Lions Club member,” declared KP Lions Club president Hal Wolverton. “Our mission is to help people who are hungry and need access to nutritious food. Hunger is a worldwide problem and we often forget about the need in our own communities.”
At the November 18 Zoom meeting of the KPLions Club, club treasurer, George Robison, discussed the subject of past contributions to the KPCS Food Bank. Following discussion, a motion was made and passed to contribute $1,000 to the Food Bank from funds from the members rather than from the public.
Eaton said, “We are very appreciative of all donated funds as the increase in demand on our finances has been substantial. We are limiting our contact with outside people as much as humanly possible. Should even one of our staff or National Guard test positive, we will be unable to provide the valuable services we are currently.
Thank you Lions so much for thinking of us. We appreciate your support.”
For more information, contact KPCS Executive Director Willow Eaton or Administrative Assistant Kyong Bertsch at 253-884-4440 or at Willow Eaton <kpcsdirector@keypeninsulacommunityservices.org>.
The KPCS Food Bank will accept contributions of non-perishable food at 17015 9th Street Ct NW, Lakebay, WA 98349.
This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 12:41 PM.