Spokane food banks see longer lines as families need more help |

The Bites and Books food drive continues across Spokane County. 

Volunteers in Spokane said more families were turning to food banks as food stamp benefits were no longer stretching far enough.  

 Our Place on College Avenue hands out food and other items two days a week.  

One volunteer there became emotional while talking about how food banks helped feed her and her daughter. 

 “Food stamps don’t cover it anymore. A lot more people come here because of food stamps. They used to cover more, but don’t anymore. They used to cover 3 weeks, now it’s about one week,” Barbara Lee said. Lee said she was trying to support herself and her daughter while also helping others who came for food. “If it wasn’t for the food banks, I wouldn’t be able to…. we’d be starving,” Lee said.  

At the Second Harvest warehouse, longtime volunteer Sharon Straub shared one example of a family of four. She said the father lost his job and the mother developed a terminal illness, leaving the family with no income. “… and there was literally no money coming in. They were a middle-class family. And they just had to finally say: We need help,” Straub said.  

Straub said many families who seek help are dealing with major life changes. She also said some parents were working two and three jobs and still needed extra food support. “People are so emotional, it’s hard to express the situation they are in. If they do, there’s just a breakdown of tears. People who are so ashamed to have to come here. Those are most of the stories we hear. Or they have gone through a life changing situation like becoming a single mom or an illness,” Straub said. 

 Second Harvest said the Bites and Books food drive was helping meet a current need by collecting nonperishable food at library locations across Spokane County. Eric Williams said shelf-stable items from the drive are especially important.  

“It’s another way for the libraries to reach out. What we’re getting from the libraries is shelf-stable food items.  That’s what we’re struggling to get ahold of.” 

At Our Place, Lee also had a message for families who may be hesitant to ask for help. “Don’t feel bad about yourself because you need help. Get out there and get it, especially if you have little kids, get out there and get it if you need it,” Lee said.  

Many donations came into the South Hills Public Library, but other locations weren’t seeing as much.  Nonstop Local and Second Harvest hope you will find the library location nearest to you in Spokane County and donate.