To the editor:

The article about Good Cheer’s Whidbey Island Nourishes (WIN) program was great, but I wanted to correct the sentence that stated that there are only 68 children on South Whidbey in danger of going hungry. Actually, so far in 2008, Good Cheer Food Bank has provided food to 1,285 children in our community. That’s up

165 children from 2007. The number in the article referred to students who are picking up the free lunches offered through the WIN program.

WIN began as a grassroots program under Good Cheer’s sponsorship, briefly went under the auspices of another nonprofit program, but then voted to return to Good Cheer. This group of WIN volunteers has its own board, runs its own fundraising (specifically for the brown bag lunch program), and handles the lunch-making and distribution program under Good Cheer’s nonprofit umbrella. They also are able to use Good Cheer’s space and storage resources. We believe that this is yet another good component to help create a truly hunger-free community. It is one of many partnerships in which Good Cheer is involved.

WIN lunches are available Fridays and Saturdays at the Good Cheer Food Bank in Bayview.

If anyone is in need of lunches for students on non-school days, please call me or stop by the food bank.

Damien Cortez

Good Cheer Food Bank Coordinator