Colfax food pantry now full

The Colfax food pantry is now overflowing with nutritious staples after a two-month span of food drives swept the city.

The pantry has roughly eight times as much food as it did in early September, when supplies got so low F.I.S.H. pantry volunteers thought they might run out.

Four spontaneous food drives were started around Colfax when people heard the pantry needed help.

“There is probably eight times more food in there since September. There was nothing in the back except for corn and beans,” said Hannah Walker, director of F.I.S.H., which stands for Friends in Service to Humanity.

Colfax High School, the Whitman County Treasurer’s office and the Community Bible Church each came up with their own idea to raise food for the pantry.

Walker placed a barrel at Rosauers in early September and estimates F.I.S.H. has collected more than 20 barrels of food.

Colfax Scouts, which annually hold a door-to-door drive for the pantry, brought in more than 2,000 pounds of food.

Whitman County Treasurer’s office struck up a food drive in place of their annual Halloween decorating. At the conclusion of the drive, their drive brought in 600 pounds of food and $500 in cash donations.

Taxpayers around the county were asked to bring in food donations when they brought in second half tax payments.

Community Bible Church in Colfax held a rummage sale in late October, asking people to use food to trade for sale items instead of money.

The church brought in “a good Explorer’s (vehicle) worth of goods,” Walker said, and $90 in cash donations.

Colfax High School held a competition between grades, bringing in four full boxes of food, Walker said.

Tom’s Turkey Drive last week at Rosauers in Colfax brought donations for more than 560 holiday meal packets, 91 of which will go to the pantry. The remaining hundreds of meals will be passed out by the Community Action Center to small-town pantries around the county.

“We can all sit down at the table this year and know that everyone who has asked for a turkey and has wanted one, will also be joining us for dinner this year,” Walker said. “That is my goal for all the years.”

Westside Pizza is also pitching in by offering pizza specials for people bringing in two non-perishable food items. If a person brings these in, they can get a free large pizza with the purchase of a large pizza (pick up only). Or, they can get a free medium pizza with the purchase of a large pizza (delivered). This special ends Dec. 22.

Walker said the F.I.S.H. food supplies are now adequate to boost a family’s basic nutrition needs.

“It’s nice because we can still hand out food, pyramids full of nutrition,” Walker said.

The pantry is housed in several back rooms in the Catholic Parish Hall. Food boxes, some still unprocessed because there is so much, line the once-empty rooms.

“We went from almost complete desolation of food to such plenty that we almost can’t believe the difference,” Walker said.

Participants in need of supplies can visit the Community Action Center on Main Street, which distributes all F.I.S.H. food.