To Our Valued Nourish Community
We are at a precarious moment in the nearly 40 year history in our work to feed those in need throughout the county. Be assured that while we navigate through this COVID-19 crisis, the safety of our clients, volunteers and staff is the first consideration in our mission to provide nutritious food to our neighbors in need.
Every day, events on the national and local level bring even more uncertainty. I am proud of the resilience and professionalism of the Nourish staff & volunteers who are bravely determined to keep our doors open.We haven’t seen anything like this since the Recession of 2008 when our customer base increased by 132%.
This crisis is different. How we operate is temporarily changing in order to meet increasing demand, health & safety needs. Last year, 66,000 Pierce County residents were served by Nourish. If history repeats itself, this number could double within weeks. What makes this more concerning is that with school closures, families will suddenly have unexpected childcare costs, and as business slows, companies will be laying off employees. Nourish is preparing for a tidal wave.
Nourish is determined to not cease service to those in our community who will no doubt be impacted the most—but we need your help.
More demand means more shelf stable food needs to be purchased. In order to keep people safe from infection, we must invest in additional supplies & technology. We are doing all we can to get our customers fed through this crisis. When it comes to an end, the reality is the community will still need us. While we need to feed more of our neighbors now, we also need to emerge from this crisis financially stable and to be prepared for the next emergency – because there will be another emergency and Nourish will be needed.
How Can You Help?
The additional steps we are implementing carry additional expense and present new and logistical challenges. We know our Nourish community stands with us and today, we ask that you please make a financial gift.
We don’t know what tomorrow, next week, or next month will bring. What we do know is that your support will make an impact to help ensure that those who need our help most will get it. Thank you for supporting your community.
Sue Potter
Chief Executive Officer
PS: If you have already supported Nourish Pierce County this year with a gift and can give again, thank you so much.
