By Abbey Rodriguez | FāVS News Reporter
More than 12,000 students across 26 counties are receiving weekend food kits this school year, with Second Harvest and faith-based organizations among those working to address childhood hunger.
Our Place Community Outreach
One of those organizations is Our Place Community Outreach, located in Spokane’s West Central Neighborhood, which “serve[s] anyone that comes to us in need,” Tracie Swanson, Our Place executive director, explained. Our Place distributes items including clothing, household items, hygiene and personal care products in addition to food to anyone in need, no ID or documentation required.
Founded in 1987 by a group of churches in West Central, Our Place has continued to serve the community for 38 years.
“We were started in 1987 by a group of churches in the West Central area, and it was the first ecumenical organization of its type in the state of Washington,” Swanson said. “Here we are, 38 years later, and needed more than ever, and those churches still play a major role in Our Place.”
The nine-member churches of Our Place include Salem Lutheran Church, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, St. Augustine Catholic Church, Christ Central Church, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Cathedral Episcopal Church and Knox Presbyterian Church.
Swanson said they also receive an incredible amount of support from the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.
Members of these specific groups serve on the board of Our Place with many other faith-based groups contributing to the mission through financial contributions, supply donations and volunteer work. Swanson explained that while Our Place began by just serving West Central Neighbors, today they serve anyone who comes to them in need.
Swanson added that they receive donations from grants, individuals, businesses, other churches and supporting church members. Our Place’s main distributors are Spokane Valley Partners and Second Harvest.
Second Harvest
As one of their major distributors, Second Harvest is part of Feeding America’s larger network of food distribution centers across the United States. Second Harvest serves 26 counties across Central and Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.
Eric Williams, team member at Second Harvest, explained that while Second Harvest is not a religious organization, they have many faith-based partners who support their work.
In 2024 alone, Second Harvest distributed 37.5 million pounds of food to partner organizations, which Williams said is equivalent to 17-18 semitruck loads per week.
According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 people in Washington state face food insecurity. In Spokane County, approximately 65,000 people experience food insecurity, representing about 13% of the local population, according to the Washington State Food Insecurity Survey.
Second Harvest’s Bite2Go program provides weekend food kits for more that 12,000 students who need food throughout the school year.
Organizations of all kinds can adopt schools to cover the cost of purchasing nutritious, kid-friendly food for students in need, according to the Bite2Go website. Eligible organizations include businesses, faith-based groups and community organizations.
“Of the approximately 195 adoptive organizations that support Bite2Go, over 70 are faith-based,” Williams said. “The Bite2Go kits are built by volunteers, oftentimes faith-based volunteers, that are then handed over to the adoptive organizations who take them to the schools, and then a trusted teacher or counselor at the school determines which kids will get the kits.”
Williams noted that “largest and most consistent” donations Second Harvest receives are from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“In 2024, more than 32 million pounds of food from bishops’ storehouses were donated through humanitarian organizations and food banks, which means the supplies provided around 32 million meals for those in need,” the Church’s website explained.
In the Spokane and surrounding areas, the Church has donated large supplies of milk and shelf-stable food to organizations like Second Harvest or the Salvation Army — delivering 30 semitruck loads worth of food to food banks in Washington State alone.
Jennifer Hicks, regional community director of the Church for Greater Spokane and North Idaho, said “At the end of October we have another truck coming with about 40,000 pounds of shelf-stable food. It will be split between Deer Park’s food bank and Fairchild Air Force Base’s food bank.” To get involved or to find a list of available resources to those in need, the 2025-2026 Fig Tree Directory has a comprehensive list of human service organizations.
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