BY BETTY FREEMAN
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
July 29, 2015
At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, Whidbey Island Nourishes (WIN) is holding its largest fundraiser of the year—a Summer Frolic with a Gypsy theme, featuring a gourmet meal prepared by Useless Bay Coffee Company’s Des Rock and Dan Fulton, local wines, and Gypsy jazz provided by the Hot Club of Troy in the beautiful garden at the home of Georgia Gerber and Randy Hudson in Clinton.
Tickets are $125 per person; there are a limited number of tickets still available. RSVP at whidbeyislandnourishes.org or call 360-221-7787.
Whidbey Island Nourishes (WIN), an eight-year-old South Whidbey non-profit organization, provides nutritious free food to hungry children and adults through a variety of outlets, including a family backpack program, complete lunches at Good Cheer Food Bank, healthy snacks for South Whidbey Children’s Center, the HUB, Homework Clubs and South Whidbey Academy, plus two coinless vending machines located at Good Cheer in Langley and behind the Clinton Community Hall.
Three days a week, WIN volunteer crews work in the kitchen at the former South Whidbey Primary School, making hundreds of sandwiches, washing and packaging fresh fruits and vegetables, making salads, trail mix and granola, and packing individual lunches and family bags. Another group of volunteers bakes the nutritious treats tucked into every lunch.
During the 2014-15 school year, WIN made an average of 500 meals per week.
WIN’s funding comes primarily from local donors, both individuals and businesses, and is supplemented by grants.
For more information, to donate or to volunteer, go to whidbeyislandnourishes.org.
To read the story of one young man’s successful efforts to raise over $300 for WIN, CLICK HERE.
Scroll down to see more of what happens behind the scenes in the WIN kitchen (photos by David Welton).
Barb Schiltz shows kale from the school/Good Cheer/community garden, the kale was delivered by Cary Peterson.
Aidan Parker of West Hollywood, Los Angeles County, is visiting Great Aunt Carla Sousa, and gloves up to help on the PB&J assembly line.
Jelcy Romberg prepares gluten free roll-ups.
Alohi Elliott just graduated from eighth grade, and is happy knowing she has helped to feed a multitude. WIN serves up to 2,000 meals per month.
Vanessa Link, Reachout Co-ordinator, routes the pickups and deliveries to various southend locations, with Tiffany Paine.
Carrie McCardle loads sandwiches into a red basket, Kelly Baugh of the Sundance Bakery provides the bread.
Image at top: a small subset of a few of the many, many volunteers who keep Whidbey Island Nourishes thriving. (photo by David Welton)
Betty Freeman is a WIN volunteer who enjoys starting her week with the wonderful Monday crew at the WIN kitchen.
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