PORT TOWNSEND — The 38th WAVE Food Drive will finish with a special food drive day on Saturday, when community members are urged to help Jefferson County food banks with non-perishable foodstuffs and money.
“Thirty-eight years ago, a few PT churches decided something needed to be done to help Jefferson County food banks do what they do best: feed the hungry,” said Pastor Skip Cadorette of the First Baptist Church of Port Townsend, organizer of the event, in a press release.
“And so the WAVE [What A Valuable Experience] food drive was born,” he added.
The format has changed, but the approach is the same: “The drive originates from PT churches and invites the wider community to join in the giving,” Cadorette said, describing the day as a “gigantic act of kindness to our county.”
Participating churches and faith communities treat October as WAVE Food Drive Month, with congregations working through the month to promote the drive in-house.
On Saturday, many churches will have their doors open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to receive food or financial donations that are split equally among the four food banks in Jefferson County: Port Townsend, Tri-Area, Brinnon and Quilcene.
Also, QFC stores in Port Hadlock and Port Townsend will receive food donations all day long.
Churches accepting donations on Saturday will be Cherry & A Street Church of Christ, 230 A St.; First Baptist Church of Port Townsend, 1202 Lawrence St.; First Presbyterian Church of Port Townsend, 1111 Franklin St.; Port Townsend Friends Meeting, 1841 Sheridan St.; Quimper Unitarian Universalist Church, 2333 San Juan Ave.; St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 1335 Blaine St.; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St., all in Port Townsend, as well Kala Point Community, 1760 Kala Point Drive, and Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 45 Redeemer Way in Chimacum.
Also collecting food but not available for drop-off on WAVE Food Drive Day are two Port Townsend churches, Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker St., and Trinity United Methodist Church at 609 Taylor St.
At the end of WAVE Food Drive Day, all the churches, stores and community groups collecting donations deliver them to First Baptist Church of Port Townsend at 1202 Lawrence St.
First Baptist Church volunteers deliver all the food to the Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) the following Monday while Cadorette delivers the financial donations to the Jefferson County Food Banks board president.
In 2022, the drive brought in $27,759.39, Cadorette said.
In its own mini-WAVE, Brinnon brought in $3,200 in donations and the Kala Point Contingent broke all previous records with donations of $16,240.
Financial donations expand food bank stocks as managers purchase food online from Food Lifeline for the price of 3 cents per pound. Thus $1 buys 33 pounds of food.
Every penny donated goes to buy food — nothing else, Cadorette said.
Non-perishable food donations typically provide a variety of items that Food Lifeline might not carry but which might be enjoyed by those in need.
Donations of peanut butter and canned chicken or tuna are highly desirable, as well as canned chili, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, instant ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese and flavored gelatin.
Canned foods that are past their expiration dates by less than three years can be donated.
Opened food containers cannot.
Opened shampoos, hand lotions, dish soaps and pet foods can be donated.
Checks are to be made payable to Jefferson County Food Bank Association; WAVE should be included in the notes line.
Online donations can be given at jeffersoncountyfoodbanks.org or by mail to Jefferson County Food Banks, P.O. Box 124 Port Hadlock, WA 98339.
More details can be found at wavefooddrive.wordpress.com.
