FISH Food Bank, Food Pantry, Open Table Meal Service

Gifts like these are integral to sustaining our community! Thank you 3 Boots Ranch!

Produce Rx Produce RX is a prescription for healthy food and is available to Yakima and Kittitas County residents. Our Produce Rx program is 100% FREE and provides: 1. A box of produce every other week. The produce box contains fresh, locally grown, fruits and vegetables.?Delivery is available. 2. Nutrition Education and recipes. With each produce box, our newsletter spotlights one of the items in the box and offers recipes, farm information and food safety tips. 3. Opportunities for hands-on cooking classes. During the program clients are invited to join our Executive Chef, Darren Macri to create a gourmet meal out of high-quality ingredients.? Medically Tailored Meals Medically Tailored Meals are designed to reduce health care visits, lower health care costs and help patients live a healthier, happier life. Qualified recipients receive 14 hand-crafted meals delivered to their home each week. The meals are created and approved by our team including Chef Darren and Registered Dietician Katy Williams to be flavorful and nutritious. Research shows that those who adhere to the program over it’s duration see dramatic, positive changes in their measurable health data. One of our participants recently told us, "I have lost 60 pounds, BP has improved and I have more energy." The goal is to build this program into a vital part of the continuum of care in Central Washington.

How were those hours spent? At the Food Bank and Pantry: 7,533 Open Table: 4,095 FISH is a nearly all-volunteer organization with only 18 staff members and about 160 active volunteers. Without volunteers, the cost of staffing FISH and Open Table’s many and diverse programs would be prohibitive. Volunteers enable us to deliver vital programs and services, lend expertise on the board of directors, help with special events, and keep the doors open every day. Every month, FISH and Open Table’s volunteers work more than 1100 hours, equivalent to 6.5 full-time staff members for an entire year. We invite anyone who is 16 years of age or older to volunteer. FISH’s Volunteer Coordinator often works with individuals who are younger and need service hours for school. For more information about the many opportunities for volunteering at FISH and Open Table, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Elise Warren, CVA at 509-925-5990 extension 1003 or go to our website:

TODAY! Our local Rotarians are hosting their annual food drive, Operation Harvest, and will be collecting food and monetary donations at our local grocery stores today, Saturday, November 2, 2024. Each year FISH provides hundreds of struggling local families with a turkey and side dishes with the help of our Rotary Clubs. Please consider a financial donation to help cover the cost of turkeys or donate Thanksgiving foods like: -Cream of Mushroom Soup -Cranberry Sauce -Sweet Potatoes or Yams -Pumpkin Pie Mix -Green Beans -Stuffing -French Onions -Canned Corn -Marshmallows -Corn Bread Dressing Join us at Safeway, Super 1 Foods, Fred Meyer, BiMart and Dollar General between 9:00am and 3pm to donate! If you can't make the event, you can make a donation online at: https://kvfish.org/donate/

FISH is partnering with local Rotary Clubs for the 6th Annual Community Christmas to provide gifts for children (0-18) and seniors (60+) in need who live in Kittitas Valley (Ellensburg & Kittitas) by matching them with generous donors in our community. Last year we received an overwhelming number of applications, over 1100 people applied to receive gifts. We were only able to match 900 of those with donors (the rest were served by shopping from donated gifts). This has led us to a new screening process to make sure we are serving those most in need. You can choose to adopt different size families or a certain number of children or seniors. Adopt on your own or with your church, club or business and bring the joy of the holidays to those in need. We have tentatively scheduled December 12 & 13th for gift drop off at First Lutheran Church (512 N Ruby St. Ellensburg). Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gJjxYFgf Questions? Email [email protected].

Ever thought about hosting a food drive?? There’s never been a better time to come together and help fill the shelves at FISH Food Pantry.? FISH is serving more neighbors than ever and our Community Shelves are virtually EMPTY. Hosting a food drive is a great community-building activity for groups including schools, clubs, churches, and businesses.? It can be as easy as putting out a box and with a list of most needed items OR you can make it fun.? Here are some ideas: ?Bring in a little healthy competition! Challenge another group (team, class, business, etc.) to see who can raise the most pounds of food.? Fill a brown bag.? Get the whole neighborhood involved. Drop off paper bags to your neighbors with a note saying that you are collecting food for FISH and when you will come pick up the bags. On the designated day, collect the bags from everyone’s front porch and bring them to FISH. We can weigh them and get a photo to share with everyone who participated. Scrub-a-Dub!? Host a car wash and have your customers pay in food or donations. Game Day.? Is there an upcoming football match you are excited about?? Have your community vote on who they think is winning having a box for each team.? You can tally the results and announce the predicted favorite. If your drive is open to the public, let us know, and we will promote your event. It’s a great way to shine a light on your business or group. We can also create materials and social media posts or lists of the most needed items. Email [email protected] for more information or food drive assistance.??

https://lnkd.in/gCQFsat8

Food Service Administrative Assistant Position Available FISH, a food resource for those in need in Kittitas County, Washington, has an immediate opening for a Food Service Administrative Assistant to provide high-level administrative support to the Food Service Program Manager and food service operations. This position is responsible for varied duties and skilled tasks that include preparing reports, assisting with research, and collecting data, creating and maintaining food service associated documents, spreadsheets, databases, organizing meetings, special events, and advising the Food Service Program Manager of critical issues and upcoming events. The position will ensure all income and expenses are handles according to FISH and Open Table policies and that related deadlines are met. This position requires a professional, who will coordinate, integrate, and?implement assigned administrative or staff functions. The successful candidate will have a high school diploma or equivalent, five years of administrative experience, excellent communication skills, ability to prioritize and organize work, and excellent computer skills. This position will have interruptions and distractions during an average workday and numerous deadlines. This is a full-time, non-supervisory position with a salary range of $20 - $26.00/hr. Please send a letter of interest and resumes to Stacey Weeks by email [email protected] FISH is an equal-opportunity employer.

Our team delivered 3384 meals to homebound neighbors last month.?? Our Meals on Wheels drivers are such an essential resource in our community.?They are a huge part of helping keep seniors in their homes by providing nutritious meals, wellness checks and much-needed human connection. Want to join this elite group of superstars? We provide all training and will reimburse your mileage at 65.5 cents per mile.?If you have ever thought about getting involved, the need is greater than ever.?Whether you commit to once or twice a week or are willing to be a substitute driver, we could use your help! Please get in touch with our volunteer coordinator Elise at 509-925-5990 x 802 or?[email protected]. Shifts typically last about 60-90 minutes.?Drivers pick up hot meals at Open Table, deliver to clients on a route we have created (including turn-by-turn instructions), and return meals and equipment.?The shifts start around 10:30 a.m. #kittitascounty #mealsonwheels #volunteering

Our team of staff and volunteers distributed 36,352 summers meals during this year's Picnic in the Park! How did we serve so many meals this summer? This year's numbers show significant growth for several reasons. 1.?We increased the number of meal sites from nine to twelve. 2.?We expanded to reach underserved communities in Vantage and Thorp. 3.?Rural sites received weekly meal packs which included breakfasts and lunches for seven days. 4.?We distributed weekend meals to children who ate in the parks on Fridays. 5.?We partnered with organizations serving children and teens including Stan Bassett Youth Center, The Shop Teen Center, Boys and Girls Clubs in Kittitas and Cle Elum, Ellensburg Dance Ensemble, Pond to Pines and Carpenter Memorial Library.? What exactly is Picnic in the Park??Picnic in the Park or PIP is part of a federally funded, state-administered program. USDA reimburses program operators who serve no-cost, healthy meals and snacks to children and teens. Meals are served at summer sites in low-income communities, where sponsors often also offer enrichment activities, or — in approved rural communities facing access issues — may be provided via grab-n-go.?The program aims to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. SFSP connects children with the nutrition they need to help them be healthy and ready to learn when they return to school.? Thanks to our team and volunteers for feeding so many local children this summer!