The Gifts that Keep on Giving: Food Bank Donors & Community Foundation Help Out Orcas Family Connections

Orcas Families in need will unexpectedly benefit from the recent Food Bank Building Fund Campaign via a route to rival Santa Claus, with stops at the Orcas Island Community Foundation, Island Market and Orcas Family Connections.

The Food Bank Building Fund was a drive to “match” a donation from an anonymous donor, who agreed to provide $65,000 to the campaign to construct a new building on Orcas Island Community Church property to house the Community Food Bank, an island non-profit. Currently, the food bank serves about 250 Orcas families on a regular basis. The building fund drive was led by Larry Shaw, President Orcas Food Bank, and the Food Bank Building Committee — Yvonne Ashenhurst, Sharon Bearchell, Jeannie Doty, Beverly Johanson, Joyce Shaw, Dick Staub and George Post — working with the Orcas Island Community Foundation. They reached the $65,000 match by the Thanksgiving Day deadline, with some excess funds. As the Community Foundation’s Executive Director Hilary Canty was completing the paperwork for the funds, the stocks donated for the matching grant gained value, realizing $3,099 greater than anticipated.

Canty called the anonymous donor to let them know that there were excess funds and to ask how the donors would like those funds distributed. As she relates:

“The donors felt the food bank had been successful enough not to need the overage. It turns out, this donor has always wanted to make bikes available to kids in need. Would that be possible?  I called Erin O’Dell, Family Advocate for Orcas Family Connections, to see if there was a need.

“It turns out, there are 8-10 kids who have asked for bikes from the Giving Tree at the Market. Erin has been trying to figure out how to purchase them. She was thrilled that this could be the answer. Erin also mentioned that she was working with 20 families, all of whom had some current needs and many have emergent needs that she has no way to help with.  She asked if she could use the remaining funds to keep for emergencies.

“I spoke to the donor and they are delighted. They greatly appreciate being able to provide both holiday cheer and ongoing support. What a great gift.”

And Canty agrees with the sentiment, saying, “How lucky am I that this is part of my job? It warms my heart.”

Others who would like to contribute to help other islanders can contact Canty at 376-6423.