Community

Green bags making giving a little simpler

Lots of people intend to donate to Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank or similar organizations.

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But getting the donations from your kitchen to the food bank or a donation site can be a real impediment for people with jobs, kids and social engagements. 

That’s the beauty of the Gig Harbor Food Project. It makes it easy. 

The recently launched project enlists volunteers to go to their neighbors’ homes, one day every other month, to pick up food for donation. It’s an easy way to turn good intentions into food on the shelves of the food bank. 

“Once people see what you’re doing and understand the simplicity of it, they embrace it,” said Richard Hales, who organizes the effort with his wife, Aleece Townsend. “You’re not writing out a check, you’re not getting yourself on a mailing list. It’s just nice and simple and it works.” 

Green bags packed in the back of a neighborhood coordinator’s car for donation to the food bank.

As simple as it sounds 

The food project launched in March. It really is as simple as it sounds.

There are two levels of participation: Neighborhood coordinators and donors.

Donors are given a green reusable grocery bag. When they go to the grocery store, they buy an extra item or two of nonperishable food and put it in the bag. 

On the second Saturday of every odd-numbered month, they put the bag outside their front door. After a couple months of collection, it should be pretty full.

Neighborhood coordinators collect the green bags every other month, leaving an empty one behind while they’re at it. Coordinators also recruit neighbors to join the effort.

The first collection, on March 11, collected nearly 2,000 pounds of goods for donation to the food bank. The second is coming up on May 13.

Neighborhood coordinators drop off carloads of green bags after picking them up from donors.

Roots in Ashland 

Townsend and Hales brought the idea with them from Ashland, Oregon, where they lived until about a year and a half ago.  

The Ashland Food Project, which operates in the same manner, delivers some 30,000 pounds of food to a food bank in that southern Oregon town every two months. It’s been in operation since 2009. 

When Townsend and Hales moved to Gig Harbor, they introduced the project as a way to get involved in their new community. 

“One of the side effects is, we’re new to the area,” Hales said. “We walked around and we met a bunch of great neighbors!”

Second collection coming soon

A green bag filled with nonperishable food items.

The 2,000 pounds of food collected in March involved only about 14 coordinators and 130 donors. An additional 10 coordinators have already signed up since then, so May should be even bigger.

“It’s a great community builder,” Townsend said. “I look forward to it really taking off in Gig Harbor.” 

For more information, or to become a donor or neighborhood coordinator, contact Townsend at [email protected].  

For information about FISH, email  [email protected] or call
(253) 858-6179.