Every day at 5 am, a volunteer from Fishline eagerly travels to Central Market. Awaiting him/her are boxes of produce that are being “rescued” from Central, the results of the fastidious standards Central has for all its food. If a red pepper has a mark or a tomato a soft spot, it must be removed so that retail customers can be assured of only the highest quality products. These “imperfect” items are still very edible and end up as the “perfect” stock in our Front Market.
As if that’s not enough, we go back for a second run every day, picking up dairy, bread, cakes, pies, meat and other food items. These two runs bring in hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds every day for our neighbors. This adds up to an astonishing total every year. In 2011, Central donated over 300,000 pounds of food to Fishline. That’s about 60% of our grocery rescue totals.
Additionally, Central helps out throughout the year in other ways. When we had our Empty Bowl Fundraiser event, where we served soup to guests, Central provided the soup at their cost. When we wanted to sell our Poulsbo Tote Bags as a fundraising project, Central located them at the checkout counter so they can be seen by all their customers. And, in the middle of the year, Tom Hall, General Manager of Central, presented Fishline with a substantial monetary donation.
Fishline can ask for no better partner in its mission to end hunger in North Kitsap.