It takes a village. Palouse Cares has been spreading compassion to rural towns in the region for nearly 16 years, but the nonprofit’s large effects wouldn’t be possible without its many volunteers.
The organization will hold its annual food drive at 9 a.m. next Saturday, going door to door in Moscow and Pullman to collect nonperishables and donations. Community members can leave their contributions outside their door, or drop off items at Zeppoz or Real Life Church in Pullman.
Rick Minard, founder of Palouse Cares, said the December food drive is one of the biggest in the area.
Palouse Cares is a nonprofit charity started to fight food insecurity and to ensure residents on the Palouse are supported and fed. Established in 2006, Minard said the organization was built by passionate people wanting to make a difference. They focus on providing adequate resources and supplies to food banks in the region, to ensure families don’t go hungry.
According to Minard, more people are using food banks in the region but are struggling to receive enough nutritious food. When donating to food drives, it’s important to focus on items with high nutritional value, such as peanut butter, tuna, chili or stew. Minard added that toiletries, like soap, feminine hygiene products and toilet paper, are good items to contribute because people can’t receive them with food stamps.
“We feel that anybody that walks into the food bank is the most humble,” Minard said. “They have the courage to walk in and say they need help, and that takes a lot.”
Latah County is the fourth-most impoverished county in Idaho, and Whitman county is the No. 1 most impoverished county in Washington, Minard said.
People who use food banks aren’t avoiding getting jobs or struggling with addiction, Minard said, adding it’s families and good people trying to make ends meet.
“Poverty is real on the Palouse,” he said. “This year’s food drive is really important because inflation and housing costs make it hard for people to live. What we want to do is give them a boost and fill the food banks as much as we can.”
Holding a drive every year, except during the COVID-19 pandemic, Palouse Cares is devoted to making real change in the community, Minard said. On average, the organization collects 30,000-40,000 pounds of food annually, which is distributed to local food banks in Whitman and Latah counties.
This year, however, the nonprofit plans on raising 100,000 pounds of donations. Minard added this is an ambitious goal but he believes it can be achieved with the right support.
Volunteers are the driving force and are essential to the success of these charitable events, he said. To be able to reach its donation goal, the organization estimates it needs around 1,500 volunteers. Currently, the food drive has 800 registered volunteers, 400 in Moscow and 400 in Pullman.
If Palouse Cares reaches its objective, it could support regional food banks for more than six months.
“The beautiful thing about living on the Palouse and in small communities is there is so much love and compassion,” Minard said. “We’re grateful for all the volunteers that come and help us, and we need more to help people who need help.”
To learn more about Palouse Cares, the December food drive or volunteer resources, the nonprofit’s website is at palousecares.org.
