Nourishing Neighbor goes bi-monthly

Hello friends and neighbors,

We hope your summer is going splendidly, and that you are enjoying time with your loved ones. It’s a relief to see summer finally arrive in the Pacific Northwest after an unusually extended spring season. The tomato and squash plants share in our excitement.

We just wanted to drop you a brief note to let you know that The Nourishing Neighbor will now be published every other month.

Rest assured; we will continue to offer engaging tasty stories to help make your life more nourishing. We believe this adjustment will enable us to better cater to our community, ensuring that everyone can eat healthily and thrive. Thank you for your unwavering support!

“I’m so grateful for the Food Bank! They are helping us get through a rough time, and I appreciate it more than you might think.”

— Food Bank customer

OIFB ED Amanda Sparks, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, OCRC ED Erin O’Dell and her daughter

Rick Larsen Engages with Community Leaders at the Pea Patch Property

Orcas Island was honored to welcome U.S. Representative Rick Larsen for a special visit. During his time on the island, Amanda Sparks, Executive Director of the Orcas Island Food Bank, and Erin O’Dell, Executive Director of the Orcas Community Resource Center, had the privilege of accompanying him on a tour of the picturesque Pea Patch property.

Together, we shared our inspiring visions for the development of a new social services campus, illustrating our dedication to enhancing and empowering the Orcas Island community.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Representative Rick Larsen for taking the time to include a visit to the Pea Patch property in his busy schedule during his recent trip to Orcas. Your support and interest in our community initiatives are deeply appreciated.

The Pea Patch Property folks march in the 4th of July Parade

The Pea Patch Project Marches On 

Everyone knows that Orcasonians love our parades, and the Fourth of July Parade is a grand one. The Pea Patch Team was certainly not going to miss a fun time.

In other exciting news—The Food Bank and the Orcas Community Resource Center have been awarded a decarbonization grant of $98,675 from the WA Department of Commerce. This grant aims to explore the development of a solar + battery smart micro-grid to power the new buildings planned for our community campus, reducing reliance on traditional power sources.

Lisa Steckley, a Pea Patch Steering Committee Member and Resource Center Board Member, expressed her excitement, stating, “We are thrilled to bring renewable energy savings to our community campus while reducing our impact on OPALCO’s power supply.”

For more information, read the full article here

“We love the Food Bank! So grateful for everything you guys do for our community!”

— Food Bank customer

Washington Service Corps celebrates Aurora Fackler-Adams

Bidding Aurora a Fond Farewell 

It’s with gratitude and sadness that we bid farewell to Aurora Fackler-Adams, one of our dedicated AmeriCorps service members at the Food Bank.

Her unwavering dedication and positive spirit have impacted our team and visitors to the Food Bank. Her professionalism and hard work will be dearly missed.

Prior to leaving, Aurora created and administered a survey of our customers that provided valuable data about their nutritional needs and preferences.

Aurora, we thank you for your exceptional service and wish you the best in all your future endeavors.

Thank You!