Rotary Club of Three Creeks donates $21k to help food insecurity

Three food banks in Clark County just got a bit of a boost, thanks to the Rotary Club of Three Creeks.

The club last week voted to donate $7,000 each to the Clark County Food Bank, FISH of Vancouver, and the North County Community Food Bank.

“Food insecurity in our community is a very serious concern while we navigate through the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Club President Kelley Campbell. “More than ever, food banks in Clark County are struggling to meet the demand for food, and one of our giving priorities is to assure that people in our community have the things they need.”

The club raised more than $40,000 at its 2020 Dancing with the Local Stars – the last major live, in person, fundraiser in the Clark County community before the COVID shut down events across the community, turning them to virtual events.

“Thank you so very much to you and each of the Rotary Club of Three Creeks members for this honor to continue our great partnership,” said North County Community Food Bank Executive Director Liz Cerveny. “This gift comes at a time when many in our communities are facing dire situations. Our organizations ability to step in and help alleviate some of their burdens provides each of these individuals, families or seniors an immediate sense of relief. COVID-19 is having far reaching impacts on many and our organizations are here to help those in our community who are facing hardships.”

The Rotary Club of Three Creeks also gave North County Community Food Bank a $10,000 grant in 2019, the first major donation the club awarded in its short history.

While these three $7,000 donations are a portion of the funds raised from Dancing with the Local Stars, the club also has a grant program targeted at nonprofits in the community. Details of that program are on the club’s website at https://www.rotaryofthreecreeks.com/charitable-giving.html.

ABOUT ROTARY CLUB OF THREE CREEKS
The Rotary Club of Three Creeks is an innovative club in its fourth year of existence. The club has attracted half of its members from the under 50 demographic and is 50-50 gender balanced. It has a firm root in community service, following the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” and meets just twice a month (first and third Thursdays), normally at Creed Coffee Co. in Felida.

ABOUT CLARK COUNTY FOOD BANK
Clark County Food Bank is a regional food bank that distributes over 8 million pounds of food and 6.7 million meals a year. They partner with 43 partners at 130 distribution sites to serve the food insecure in our community. With 65,000 hungry individuals in Clark County, the need is great, but the Food Bank is here to help.

ABOUT FISH OF VANCOUVER
FISH of Vancouver provides emergency nutritionally balanced food without charge, to anyone declaring their need. It is the intent of FISH of Vancouver to provide a 3-5 day supply of food, called a “full meal deal,” once a month to any person declaring their need.

ABOUT NORTH COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK
North County Food Bank serves an average of 650-700 families monthly, nearly 11,000 clients in total. They are an affiliate of the Clark County Food Bank and one of the only local distributors of USDA commodities, including shelf stable milk, cheese, canned beans and meat, and rice. North County Food Bank offers a number of services and resources to clients across the county. Their focus is to solve problems and support a healthy, thriving community.