PORT ANGELES — A van loaded with treats and pantry staples pulled up at the Port Angeles Boys & Girls Club on Saturday.
It was packed with pies, bread, produce and more, all items from the Port Angeles Food Bank, which will be closed through today.
“We didn’t want all that food to go bad, so we decided to take it up there,” said Mikki Saunders, executive director of the food bank.
Because it was the end of the month and the food bank was to be closed for a three-day weekend, many families in the area of southeast Port Angeles were low on food.
“It was amazing,” Megan Cole-Tamba, one of the area residents, said.
“My son ran in the house and said, ‘It’s a miracle.'”
And the neighbors rallied to distribute the food.
“We wanted to make sure that anyone who needed some got some,” Becky Messinger, another resident, said.
“I’m a single mom of four kids, so it felt really good to help distribute all that food.
“My son said he was helping because God wanted him to.”
The food overflowed on the porch from where the group of neighbors unloaded and distributed it.
“It must have been more than $1,000 worth of food,” Messinger said.
“We made sure that the families who needed it most got what they needed.”
She said the gift would make for a good Memorial Day for her and other families in the area.
Bread and vegetables made up the bulk of the offerings because those things would have gone bad before the food bank reopens on Tuesday.
“Some of the women who we offered the food to just had tears in their eyes,” Saunders said.
“One little boy climbed up in the back of the van and was helping unload the cookies and told us, ‘I think I’m dreaming.'”
Saunders said this could be a repeat occurrence if the instance comes up again.
“I think most of the time, for myself, I’m fortunate that I’m able to buy my food and some of these people had nothing in their cupboards,” Saunders said.
“It was heartbreaking and exciting, and I’m just so happy.
“We had an awful lot of food packed into the van.
“Oh, my goodness, we are so fortunate to be able to feed these children and their parents, and we are so fortunate for the community who donated so much food.”
For more information on the food bank and how to donate, contact Saunders at 360-452-8568 or 360-452-4176 or stop by the food bank at 402 S. Valley St.
