Moscow's generosity shines in food drive

Five University of Idaho Sigma Nu fraternity brothers went door-to-door collecting food Saturday morning in a neighborhood near Moscow Middle School in an effort to lessen hunger on the Palouse.

They were joined by about 35 other Sigma Nu brothers and hundreds of other volunteers who knocked on doors and rang doorbells Saturday morning in 13 towns in Whitman and Latah counties as part of the area's largest single-day food drive - the 13th annual Palouse Cares Food Drive and Auctions.

Greg Meyer, a Palouse Cares board member, said the food drive brought in an estimated 28,000 to 30,000 pounds of food from around the Palouse, but the numbers and details still need to be finalized, including the results from smaller communities. Volunteers collected 40,000 pounds last year.

"We're always hoping to get more food so obviously there's a little disappointment that our numbers appear to be down this year," Meyer said. "But we're always encouraged and our spirits are lifted by the volunteers who show up."

He said Moscow food collection numbers were up slightly from last year.

"Every year, we evaluate what happened and try to improve on it the next year and we'll do that again this year," Meyer said.

He said the nonprofit organization was appreciative of the volunteers' efforts and the nice weather.

"Overall, I would say it was a great day and we're going to help feed some hungry people here with what happened," Meyer said.

Meyer said he is not yet sure how much money was collected from the live and silent auctions Saturday in Moscow and Pullman.

Joseph Brueher, a UI sophomore and Sigma Nu president, said food insecurity is an issue in Moscow.

"I'm just happy to help the community and get out," Brueher said. "It's a problem that a lot of people don't really think much about or overlook a lot of times."

Many of the residents whose doors Brueher and his four fraternity brothers knocked on in one neighborhood were willing to donate items - from beans to soup to toothpaste. Some of them even had a bag or multiple bags of food prepared before the UI students arrived on their doorstep.

Adam Kotiga, a UI freshman and Sigma Nu member, said the fact that most people who answered the door Saturday donated food shows how generous and caring Moscow residents are.

"They're willing to give their food that they paid for just to go help other people," Kotiga said. "They don't want to see people hungry."

Kotiga said the food drive is a good cause he does not mind helping out.

"The less people that are hungry, the more people that are happy," he said.

Katie Stodick and her 9-year-old daughter, Kelly, had never volunteered to collect food for the Palouse Cares food drive before Saturday. Katie said being involved in the Lewis-Clark State College nursing program opened her eyes to food needs in the community.

"It's a big issue that needs help and so we're here to help out as much as we can and give back and help those that are in need this time of the year," she said.

Grace Frazier, a sophomore UI golfer, said it is surprising to see how many people donate food to the food drive and it is cool to see that generosity.

"I just like helping people in any way that I can and it's just a really good way to give back to the community," Frazier said.

After volunteers, who were mostly made up of Greek members and Vandal athletes in Moscow, collected food from Moscow residents, they dropped the items off at Real Life Church at Eastside Marketplace where they sorted and helped load the items to be delivered to the Moscow Food Bank.

Moscow Food Bank Director Linda Nickels and other volunteers sorted the newly-delivered food into large cardboard boxes.

Nickels said it feels great to get more food than last year.

"Moscow's always very generous," she said.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.