LAKEWOOD — During the first week of the new year, Emergency Food Network received 6,000 dozen eggs from Wilcox farms, a donation that will add needed fresh protein to the region’s food-insecure.
EFN relies on a combination of purchased food, food donated from food drives, and food contributed by major distributors such as Wilcox farms to help Pierce County feeding programs meet the needs of the 140,000 individuals who visit food banks each month. Eighty percent of the food distributed by the 67 food banks, meal sites, and shelters EFN serves is resourced and distributed through the organizations warehouse in Lakewood.
“Healthy protein sources such as fresh eggs are so valuable and vital to the emergency food system,” said Emergency Food Network Executive Director Helen McGovern. “The nutritional value of the items that we distribute is important to us, not just the quantity. We have the cold storage and transportation capabilities, as do many of the feeding that we serve, and Wilcox Farms is displaying the generosity that we count on to achieve our mission.”
That mission is to “provide a reliable food supply so that no person in Pierce County goes hungry.” EFN welcomes financial donations as well as food donations. McGovern recommends non-perishable items such as peanut butter, canned, meat, dish, beans and chili, canned fruits and vegetables, rice and pasta.
The organization’s increased emphasis on Food Purchasing capitalizes on EFN’s ability to leverage purchasing power to distribute $12 worth of food for every $1 donated.
For information about the Emergency Food Network, to donate, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, visit www.efoodnet.org