To the editor:

I have been asked to clarify the role of Good Cheer and the role of Whidbey Island Nourishes (WIN). It seems the best place to start is in the South Whidbey Record.

Good Cheer is a sponsoring partner and serves as WIN’s fiscal agent. WIN manages its own volunteers and is responsible for fundraising for its sack-lunch program. The lunches are made in the kitchen of Good Cheer’s Bayview site. Good Cheer provides the space for storing WIN’s supplies and provides needed program insurance. Good Cheer also serves as two of the four locations where one can pick-up a WIN lunch.

It is a strong partnership that has been built on trust with a unified effort in feeding the hungry on South Whidbey.

What sets our two efforts apart?

WIN provides prepared sack lunches which include: a meat-and-cheese or vegetarian sandwich, fresh fruit and vegetables, a pasta or rice salad, and usually a healthy treat.

Good Cheer Food Bank is set up as a grocery store. It provides food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some examples that are available to Food Bank shoppers:

• For breakfast — eggs, cereal, pancake and muffin mix;

• For lunch — peanut butter, tuna, lunch meat, bread and soup;

• For dinner — chicken, hamburger, onions and potatoes.

Also available (the list is long but to name a few): staples such as beans, rice, pasta, flour, sugar, and some paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels.

With our partnerships with local gardeners and farmers and our new Good Cheer garden, we offer a constant supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Currently, the Good Cheer database includes 1,580 children — in the food bank world, children are those who are 1 day to 18 years. Good Cheer wanted to reach out to the youth who may be hungry but were not receiving food directly through the food bank. We partnered with WIN, South Whidbey School District, South Whidbey Commons, and Youth Connections — all programs with a youth focus. If there were youth who weren’t receiving food directly from the food bank, we helped to put together programs that would get food to them.

Good Cheer is true to its mission in wanting to create a hunger-free community.

Alone, it would be a mission impossible, but together we can get it done.

Why? Because we live in a community that is caring and supportive, with programs dedicated to working together for a common cause.

Kathy McLaughlin

Good Cheer Food Bank & Thrift Stores