Second Harvest Inland Northwest

10/16/2026

1 in 8 kids right here in Benton and Franklin counties faces food insecurity. 💛

Alexandra and I spent the day with Second Harvest INW in Pasco, and we walked away with a whole new appreciation for what happens behind the scenes in our community.

Here’s what we learned:

📦 Second Harvest is the food bank behind our food banks. As part of the Feeding America network, they supply pantries, meal sites and programs all across our region.

🙌 Volunteers are everything. Volunteer hours at the Pasco warehouse add up to roughly 30–35 full-time employees. Without them, the shelves don’t get sorted and the food doesn’t get out the door.

🎒 Bite2Go sends schoolchildren home with discreet bags of food for the weekend, so no kid goes hungry when school isn’t in session. Just $5 feeds one child for an entire weekend! They need more direct fundraising to bring this program to more schools in our community.

🚗 Mobile Markets bring free groceries straight into our neighborhoods. They run 3 days a week, year-round, rain or shine, with the goal of serving up to 250 families per market. No appointment or paperwork needed. Want to bring one to your community? Schools, churches, businesses and organizations can become a host site. Second Harvest provides all the food, and hosts provide the drive-through space and a team of volunteers. It’s a powerful way to rally your people around a cause and make a real impact right where you live.

💵 About 90% of Second Harvest’s funding comes from donations, and only 1% comes from the government. This work is truly powered by our community.

When we asked what they need most, the answer was simple: volunteers. Shifts are just a couple of hours, and anyone 14+ can help.

Grab a friend, bring your family, or make it a team day with your office. Many employers even match volunteer hours with a donation!

You don’t have to have a lot to give a lot. Sometimes, you just have to show up. 🧡

👇 Comment VOLUNTEER and we’ll send you the link to donate your time or funds, to learn about hosting a Mobile Market, or getting involved in Bite2Go!

10/15/2026

What if you could do more for your neighbors — without spending more than you already planned to give?

Some of our most committed supporters have discovered that how they give can matter as much as what they give. A qualified charitable distribution from an IRA. Appreciated stock or mutual funds. A donor-advised fund. Each one is a different path to the same place — more food moving to more neighbors across our region.

This October, Jim and Terry Coombes and the Second Harvest Foundation are matching every tax-smart gift dollar for dollar — up to $50,000 — through Dec.31.

Download the free Smart Giving Guide to find the right path for you. : https://2-harvest.org/tax-smart-giving-guide/

Same heart. Greater impact.

10/14/2026

Are you or someone you know in need of food assistance? The Washington Basic Food Program may be able to help. Click the link to see if you qualify: https://2-harvest.org/food-near-me-wa/

10/14/2026

Thank you to everyone who supported The Jay and Kevin Show Food Drive! Together, you're making a meaningful difference for our neighbors. And thanks to The Jay and Kevin Show, it was a lot of fun!

The numbers are in. Thanks to your incredible generosity the 31st Annual Jay and Kevin Food Drive raised $51,678 and collected 3,300 pounds of food for 2nd Harvest!

10/13/2026

Enough food changes everything for kids. 💛

This National School Lunch Week, we’re celebrating the meals that help kids thrive, and the importance of keeping them fed when school meals aren’t available.

👉 It helps them show up to school Monday ready to learn.
👉 It gives them energy to play, grow, and dream big.
👉 It takes one impossible worry off a parent's plate.
👉 It means the weekend is for being a kid — not for going hungry.

Every Friday, Bite2Go bags go home with kids who may not have enough to eat over the weekend. Every dollar goes directly toward food for those bags.

Sponsor a school or one child — https://bit.ly/4hJJ9hJ

10/10/2026

Hunger isn't only about what's on the table.

Food insecurity carries a weight most people never see.

This World Mental Health Day, we're recognizing the connection between food insecurity and mental health — and why reliable access to food matters for more than physical health.

Sometimes having enough means having one less thing to worry about.

Get immediate, free, and confidential help by calling or texting 988.

10/09/2026

Through the FoodShare program, Starbucks teams up with Feeding America® and other hunger relief organizations to provide nourishing, ready-to-eat meals to people in need and divert surplus food from landfills — and Second Harvest is proud to be one of those partners.

Since last October, Starbucks has contributed 288,469 pounds of food to our community. Their FoodShare Capacity Building Grant has also helped us expand our food rescue work, getting even more wholesome food moving to neighbors across Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

That's the kind of partnership that changes what's possible. Thank you, Starbucks.

10/08/2026

Today is National DAF Day — a moment set aside to encourage donors with donor-advised funds to put those dollars to work for causes they love.

If you have a DAF, directing a gift to Second Harvest takes minutes. Just ask your financial advisor to recommend a grant.

And if you'd like to learn more about giving smarter — whether through a DAF, your IRA, appreciated stock, or a planned gift — join us for a free webinar this month:

📅 Smart Giving: Make the Most of Your Charitable Giving

Thursday, Nov. 12 | Noon to 1 p.m.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3TO3Lxk

Can't make the webinar? Download the free Smarter Giving Guide for Second Harvest: https://2-harvest.org/tax-smart-giving-guide/

Every tax-smart gift this October is matched dollar for dollar — up to $50,000 — by Jim and Terry Coombes and the Second Harvest Foundation.

Same heart. Smart impact.

10/08/2026

There are more ways to give fresh food to your neighbors than you might realize.

Whether you give monthly through The Orchard, make a one-time gift, use your IRA, donate appreciated stock, or give through a donor-advised fund — every path leads to the same place: fresh food moving to neighbors across our region.

Swipe through for 5 ways to give. Then find the one that fits you best.

This October, Jim and Terry Coombes and the Second Harvest Foundation are matching every tax-smart gift — dollar for dollar, up to $50,000.

Download the free Smarter Giving Guide: https://2-harvest.org/tax-smart-giving-guide/

Same heart. Greater impact.

10/02/2026

This week is Food Waste Prevention Week — a moment to think about the food we throw away and what could happen instead.

In the U.S., 29% of food goes unsold or uneaten every year. That's 114 billion meals' worth of perfectly good food lost — while 1 in 6 of our neighbors don't have reliable access to enough.

Second Harvest connects those two realities — surplus food and neighbors who need it — every single day. We rescue surplus food from farms, grocery partners, and food donors and get it moving to families across Eastern Washington and North Idaho before it's lost.

Here's how you can reduce food waste at home this week:

🛒 Shop with a list — buy only what you need
🥦 Store food properly to make it last longer
🍳 Cook with what you have before buying more
📦 Donate unexpired nonperishables to a local food bank

Every meal saved today is a meal that can feed someone else tomorrow. Food connects us all.