Serve Wenatchee Food Drive at Grocery Outlet

Serve Wenatchee and Townsquare Media partnered on a one day food drive on Saturday at Wenatchee's Grocery Outlet to collect food for struggling families.

Mike Malmin is the Executive Director for the non-profit.

The food and cash donations given during Saturday's "Holiday's From Hunger" event will replenish Serve Wenatchee's Fresh Hope Market.

The food bank distributes between 10 and 13 thousand pounds of food each month and that figure has increased significantly in recent years, according to Malmin.

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The Fresh Hope Market is for low-income families, the working poor and seniors who can qualify for assistance and shop for groceries with credits in a store like setting.

The Fresh Hope Market is located at 12 Orondo Avenue in Wenatchee, accross from the Pybus Public Market.

Hours are M-Th, 9am-noon, 1:30-4:30pm

To qualify for assistance, Serve Wenathchee will do a short intake interview to determine the amount of assistance thatcan be provided.  Families are then given "credits" to shop in the store like setting for the items they wish.

Shoppers at the Wenatchee Grocery Outlet donated 1,569 pounds of grocery items on Saturday, according to Malmin.  Another $7,250 has been donated online to date, with donations accepted through the end of the month at ServeWenatchee.org.  Malmin says a $1 donation equates to one pound of food donation so the effort so far will bring in at least 8,800 pounds of food to stock the Fresh Hope Market

Weinstein Beverage also contributed a number of free raffle prizes including a Blackstone Griddle and a propane-fired outdoor wok.

Wenatchee Wild mascot Walt the Wolf greeted fans and the Wild provided free ticket giveaways.

Santa dropped in for a brief visit during his hectic schedule at the North Pole.