PORT TOWNSEND — The annual WAVE Food Drive to support the four food banks of East Jefferson County is set for Saturday.
WAVE, which stands for “what a valuable experience,” has gathered donations for the food banks serving Port Townsend, Tri-Area, Brinnon and Quilcene for the last 28 years.
Figures were not available for the 2012 drive, but in 2011, the WAVE drive, an ecumenical effort by community churches, raised more than $18,000 in financial donations and brought in more than 1,300 pounds of food, said this year’s organizer, Skip Cadorette, pastor of First Baptist Church.
And the need continues to grow, said Shirley Moss, director of the Port Townsend Food Bank.
“When we moved into Mountain View Commons in November 2009, we were serving about 236 families, and now we’re serving between 300 and 350 families and seniors each week,” Moss said.
Last Wednesday, the agency provided food for 274 families, 25 of them new clients, and it usually serves about 70 seniors on Saturdays, Moss said.
Cadorette said he visited the Port Townsend Food Bank for the first time last month “and was overwhelmed by its cleanliness, organization, efficiency, the excellent quality of food available and the kindness of every volunteer.
“This service to our community is absolutely worthy of your support,” he said.
Donations of both money and non-perishable food will be accepted.
Each donated dollar can buy 33 pounds of food through Food Lifeline, based in Shoreline, which serves about 300 agencies statewide, Moss said.
As for canned food, “we really appreciate canned proteins such as tuna fish and peanut and salmon, and we really need pet food,” Moss said.
Home-canned foods can’t be accepted. Canned foods that are past their expiration dates by less than three years still can be donated.
Food donations for people can’t have been opened, but opened containers of pet food — as well as opened containers of shampoos, hand lotions and dish soaps — are welcome.
Donations are stored in an Olympic Community Actions Programs warehouse.
Community donations can be made all day Saturday at QFC stores in Port Townsend and Port Hadlock and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at participating churches.
The churches are Cherry & A Street Church of Christ, 230 A St.; Evangelical Bible (Methodist) Church, 2135 San Juan Ave.; First Baptist Church of Port Townsend, 1202 Lawrence St.; Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker St.; Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave.; St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 1335 Blaine St.; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St., all in Port Townsend and Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 45 Redeemer Way, in Chimacum.
Participating churches will collect food and money throughout October.
Donations also can be mailed to Port Townsend Food Bank at P.O. Box 1975, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Checks can be made payable to Jefferson County Food Bank.
They are distributed to the Port Townsend, Tri-Area, Brinnon and Quilcene food banks.
The Quilcene food bank also serves Coyle.
For more information, see wavefooddrive.wordpress.com.