Sequim Church members, through their Adventist Community Service (ACS) program, have been providing food and clothes for adults for many years and, in a recent development, are now working more closely with the Sequim Food Bank. Every Thursday, eight church members volunteer at the food bank for an hour to put 15 food items into each of 120 bags for Sequim public school students to take home for the weekend.
The food bank purchases the items with funds they have raised for this purpose. Northwest Harvest donates some of the food each week. On Fridays, the Sequim schools give students in kindergarten through grade 12 a bag of nutritious food to take home with them in their backpacks.
“This program is very important because it allows students to get the nutrition they need so when they return to school on Monday they can function well,” says Wayne Christensen, Sequim ACS director. Christensen also fills backpack bags each week with the Nazarene Church in Carlsborg to provide food for a local elementary school there.
The Sequim Boys and Girls Club provides lunches each summer for elementary age kids through the Federal Department of Agriculture. Local churches, including the Sequim Adventist Church members, volunteer to distribute these at locations in Sequim. “These opportunities allow Sequim Adventists to mix with other volunteers in the community," says Collette Pekar, Sequim associate pastor. "We make friendships and relationships while helping to provide healthy meals for kids.”
Sequim Adventists Anne Judd, Dawn Rowe, Bob Rowe and Bill Needham volunteer their time to prepare food bags for public school students.
Maureen O'Kane, along with other members from Sequim Church, package nutritious foods for public school students to eat over the weekend.
