Staff and residents of Wesley Homes are helping to end hunger on Saturday, June 8th at the Northwest Harvest warehouse in Kent, WA. In just three hours, our Living the Mission Team of volunteers will pack several tons of food that will be distributed to local food banks. “Northwest Harvest’s statewide mission is to provide nutritious food to families who need basic sustenance in a manner that respects their dignity, while fighting to eliminate hunger,” said Bernie Dorsey, Wesley Homes Director of Outreach and organizer of the Living the Mission Team. “Part of the Wesley Homes mission is to ‘meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of those we serve.’ Knowing that too many of our local community members lack even the most basic of needs, our Living the Mission Team is stepping up to offer a helping hand. We know that a few hours on a Saturday morning can mean so much to so many.” Northwest Harvest has been around since 1967, when a group of Seattle community leaders realized that hunger was a big problem. Today, Northwest Harvest partners with Rotary First Harvest, which secures millions of pounds of food donations every year from Washington State food producers. “Working at the Northwest Harvest plant for three hours on a Saturday morning promises to be a rewarding enterprise for all who volunteer,” said Sten Crissey, Wesley Homes Foundation Director of Fund Development and frequent volunteer through Rotary First Harvest. “We leave Northwest Harvest feeling fulfilled, knowing we have helped an unknown family truly in need of the assistance we were able to provide, and I’m excited that Wesley Homes is becoming part of this worthy cause.” The Wesley Homes Living the Mission Team is always on the lookout for ways to be of service. There are a variety of tasks that need to be done at Northwest Harvest, and volunteers with physical limitations can be easily accommodated. “Seeing the volume of food that passes through this facility and realizing how many families are being fed because of Northwest Harvest – it just warms a volunteer’s heart,” said Sten. Northwest Harvest and its partners and volunteers distribute millions of pounds of food each year through a network of more than 350 food banks, meal programs and high-need schools.
