From the Sequim Food Bank: Acts of generosity send ripples in every direction

Published 2:30 am Wednesday, July 8, 2026

When a gentleman walked into our offices one Monday to let us know fresh strawberries would be delivered that morning from Graysmarsh Farm in time for our afternoon distribution, I remarked to our team how fun it is that we’re in the season for getting local, gleaned produce — fresh berries, right at the peak of summer.

“Oh, no, it’s not gleaned,” Ashley, our Food Procurement manager corrected. “This is a person in the community who called to say he so enjoys the beautiful, local berries we are lucky to have right here in our own town, and understood that such a treat was not financially accessible to everyone in our community. He went to Graysmarsh and purchased 75 containers to donate to the food bank.”

Gasp.

Far beyond the obvious benefit of community members receiving delicious, fresh, local strawberries, an act like that sends ripples in every direction, starting with the small group of staff who happened to be nearby when he walked in. Witnessing firsthand how challenging life can be for so many of us right now can be a lot. An act like that has a tremendous buoying effect.

We are not alone.

This is not up to us. We are simply the stewards of a process being channeled through an entire community.

And then there’s the fact that it happened on a day when I was writing this article. So now all of you will hear the story. What light might that bring to your day? What act of generosity might it stir in you — to participate wherever you are, with whatever you have?

During distribution later that afternoon, I had the pleasure of speaking with one of our regular visitors — a single mom of two little girls, one a rising second-grader, one a preschooler.

“I’m doing the best I can and being very strategic with our household resources,” she told me, “but at the end of the month, we’re just not making it.”

It’s by far the most common story we hear right now.

What struck me was what she said next: she’s applying to work at local farms for additional employment.

There it is. She will be part of growing the very produce our community is so blessed to have. The same farms that sent 75 containers of strawberries through our doors that morning. We are all, in our own ways, part of providing. We are all, at one time or another, fortunate to receive.

Peanut Butter Drive

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our recent Peanut Butter Drive. Over 25 volunteers took shifts outside QFC, Safeway, and Walmart over Father’s Day weekend, inviting shoppers to add a jar to their baskets on the way out. Together, you collected 2,500 pounds of peanut butter. If you missed it, it’s not too late — add a jar to your next shop and drop it in one of our orange barrels at any of those three stores, or bring it by the food bank directly. It is always a bright spot in our day when community members stop by to show their support.

Please save Sept. 19 on your calendar. That’s the date of our second annual Everyone at the Table event — an afternoon of gathering with neighbors, sharing good food, local music, and even some fun crafts.

If you’d like to help with planning, or if you’re a local business that wants the community to know you actively support the Sequim Food Bank, we’d love to hear from you.

As the number of people in our community needing food assistance continues to grow, this event is a wonderful way for all of us to come together and make sure no one goes without.

Fun facts

A few fun stats from June: More than 200 of you donated to the Sequim Food Bank that month. More than 150 of you volunteered your time. You donated over 26,000 pounds of food. Through local farm purchasing, donations, and gleaning, we received nearly 1,000 pounds of farm produce. And all of that made it possible for us to provide food to more than 1,600 food bank visits in June.

We are truly at the table together.

If you’re already here — thank you. If you haven’t found your place at the table yet, know this: there is room for you, and you are welcome.

As always, details on all of our programs, avenues for receiving food assistance, and the myriad ways to participate can be found at sequimfoodbank.org.

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Jen Colmore is executive director of the Sequim Food Bank.