Each year we welcome a new team of AmeriCorps members at the food bank. This year, we were so fortunate to have four of last year’s AmeriCorps members renew for a second term! This allowed the team to jump right back into their work from day one.

Our Farming and Gleaning team is busy harvesting the bountiful harvest of fresh produce grown on our acreage at Heritage Farms. The team also collects unsold produce at the Vancouver Farmers’ Market every Sunday through growing season, gathering up to 2,000 pounds each week! All produce harvested or gleaned comes straight to our warehouse and is distributed to our partner agencies and pantries. During the off-season, the team supports local farms through Washington State’s Farm to Food Pantry grant and moves straight into planning for next season. Our newest AmeriCorps member, starting in January, brings experience in soil management – a project we hope to incorporate into our farming process.

In Food Distribution, our two new AmeriCorps members will play a critical role in the food bank’s Community Kitchen pantries in Fruit Valley and Walnut Grove. We are thrilled to announce that the new Walnut Grove pantry opened for business in our West Campus at the start of October! Clients were welcomed into a spacious pantry with a wide variety of food choices. Both of our pantries offer a shopping style approach to food distribution, where clients can choose foods that serve their families well. The AmeriCorps members are integral to the pantry operations, building relationships with clients and volunteers alike.

The Nutrition Education team hit the ground running with three AmeriCorps members returning for a second term, joined by two new members. Together, the educators will offer an average of 8+ classes and workshops per week, both at the food bank and in the community. Our classes include healthy cooking on a budget, making healthy snacks for middle school students, and growing and maintaining a home garden on a budget – all for free! We’re also happy that Marcie Walsh, an AmeriCorps educator last year, has been hired at the food bank and now serves as the Program Coordinator for Nutrition Ed. and Internships.