36% … the increase in the rate of hunger in Washington State from last year.

There is good news though.

I was fortunate enough to have been asked to witness the Courage Classic over the Summer, which is a fundraising cycling trek over 3 Washington state passes that benefits ___.  I recently received an email asking me to share about the Rotary’s next selfless project called the Rotary First Harvest.

Below is an excerpt from the Rotary First Harvest (RFH) website that explains what they do:

RFH acts as a conduit between farmers and the programs that serve hungry individuals and families in our region.  Farmers are occasionally left with surplus fruits and vegetables that can’t be sold due to minor imperfections (such as carrots with two legs or apples that are the wrong size or color), or might not be harvested because of a glut on the market.

Traditionally, this nutritious produce would be sent to a landfill or left to rot in the fields. Instead, RFH directs it to those in need. 

How does this work?

This coming Saturday, October 13th, Rotary District 5030 has organized a Work Party.  If you ever thought that you did not have the resources to donate money to a cause or to help those in need, you can take a moment, and donate your time, your sweat, and your functioning back to help get food ready for distribution.

Rotary First Harvest Work Party (short) from Rotary District 5030 on Vimeo.

What Am I Doing?

I was asked to share about this event, attend and get to know the people that organize and volunteer at it, but there’s another reason I’m doing this.  I’m bringing my kids with me.  I want to take this as an opportunity to talk to them about helping others and SHOW them what that looks like.  Leading into the holiday season, or as I like to call it, “No”, it will be a great way to open their minds to the fact that there are people in the world who do not have as much as we have been blessed to have, and there is something more important out there than what commercials tell you.

Stay Tuned

I will be on Twitter during the RFH Work Party sharing photos and posting them under the hashtag #ALifeBuildingHope and on their Facebook Page. I will also be writing another post in the week following the event sharing about my experience there, and about some of the Rotarians and volunteers I met while there.  I know many of you are not from Washington and would join the work party, but take a second to share this because exposure is one of the greatest tools that good people have when working to help those in need.

-JB