Treasurer’s staff gives to fight local hunger

Whitman County Treasurer’s staff has decided to undertake a food drive instead of decorating and dressing up for Halloween, a long-time tradition at the office. Above, staff members stand amid a sampling of food already donated to the drive by county employees.

The Treasurer’s office employees decided to change to the food drive after reading about the low stocks in the FISH food pantry. Donna Poland, financial specialist in the treasurer’s office, said she has been “haunted” by a picture of the empty shelves that ran in the Sept. 3 edition of the Gazette.

The food bank has been in high demand as residents have faced higher costs for food and fuel over the past year.

Treasurer Robert Lothspeich said their goal is to overflow the food pantry with donations from taxpayers. He is encouraging all of the more than 10,000 Whitman County property taxpayers to bring a can of food in with their second-half property tax payments, which are due Oct. 31.

Anyone else interested in donating to the food drive can drop donations at the treasurer’s office or at Rosauers in Colfax or the Colfax outreach branch of Community Action Center.