Bundled-up volunteers braved the cold rain as they collected nonperishable foods and toiletries early Saturday at 10 food drive locations throughout Clark County as a part of Walk & Knock/Drive & Drop.
As of Saturday, Walk & Knock volunteers had gathered over 88,600 pounds of goods during the food drive, and they’re still counting. The exact amount of nonperishable items and money donations collected won’t be known until Friday, said the organization’s president, Tom Knappenberger. The donations will be given to the Clark County Food Bank.
In Clark County, 1 in 4 people does not have adequate access to food, Knappenberger said. Walk & Knock was created to address this issue and to generate visibility around food insecurity, as well as coalesce community members who want to help.
Usually, thousands of people walk door to door in neighborhoods to collect bags of food. This year, smaller groups were designated to food drive sites throughout the county to maintain social distance between the public and volunteers.
Children and adults from the local Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, as well as church members and high school students, participated in the many food drives.
Volunteers unloaded bags full of goods that varied from chips and cereal to aluminum foil and paper towels. As drivers weaved through traffic chutes in parking lots, they showed gratitude to the volunteers for dedicating their time and energy toward a good cause.
Jake Carlson, adviser for Hudson’s Bay High School’s National Honor Society group, said the event also serves as a meaningful chance for children to get involved and have a positive influence in the community.
“We are a club of service,” he said. “We enjoy helping others.”
Other volunteers directed traffic and said “thank you” to people as they exited the parking lot. Rotary Club member Jim West said expressing appreciation toward donors is vital to the operation because volunteers want to reinforce the significance of being an active citizen.
Mike Sill of Vancouver operated machinery to haul thousands of pounds of goods into a truck at the Hudson’s Bay High School drop-off location. As someone who grew up with limited resources, Sill understands the value of giving to those in need, he said.
In preparation for the food drive, Walk & Knock sent out 185,000 postcards to homes and businesses throughout Clark County.
“We’re doing the best we can,” Walk & Knock board member Janet Elliot said.
Walk & Knock has gathered more than 8.6 million pounds of food since it began in 1982 and maintains its title as the nation’s largest local food drive.
“I’m just in awe of a lot of the people who do this,” Knappenberger said. “We’re in the shadow of Portland for so many, but this is something that is at the heart of Vancouver.”
