Walk & Knock, the nation’s largest one-day community food drive, kicks off its 33rd annual pick-up on Saturday, Dec. 2. Bags of nonperishable groceries and toiletry items should be clearly marked and left on the front porch by 9 a.m.
Organized in 1985 by local service clubs, the annual food drive has collected more than 7.7 million pounds of food to help those who need it in Clark County. Again this year, some 4,000 volunteers are expected to help gather bags from area doorsteps, box them at collection points around the county, load them into donated semi-truck trailers and deliver them to the Clark County Food Bank warehouse.
“I’ve talked to my colleagues around the country and they are totally amazed at the size and scope of the Walk & Knock drive,” said Alan Hamilton, executive director of the Clark County Food Bank. “It’s the nation's largest single-day recurring community food drive, and we couldn’t provide the resources to those who need them in this county without it.”
The drive’s signature bags will arrive in newspapers delivered by The Columbian, The Reflector and the Camas-Washougal Post-Record. Non-subscribers will receive bags in the mail this year, a new W&K initiative. In addition, as an experiment, about 12,000 households in the Minnehaha, Northwest and downtown neighborhoods will have W&K bags hand delivered to their doorsteps by area students on Saturday, Nov. 25.
“We’ve been adding new things each year to try and raise awareness and boost collections,” said W&K President Justin Wood. “Folks will once again receive a recorded reminder call from Trailblazer legend Bill Schonely. Chuck’s Produce is promoting the drive at their two stores. McDonald’s is again sponsoring more than 100,000 W&K door hangers with coupons. And we are trying new delivery methods to ensure everyone gets a Walk & Knock bag.”
For those who miss donating on Dec. 2, there are 80 donation barrels throughout Clark County whose locations can be found at walkandknock.org/barrels
Donations of money are also gladly accepted, and volunteers are always needed and most welcome. Visit walkandknock.org/how-to-help.
Inter-service Walk & Knock takes place each year on the first Saturday of December. Walk & Knock solicits charitable donations of nonperishable food, supplies and money, which in turn are given to the Clark County Food Bank for providing food to those in need across our community.
Walk & Knock is an all-volunteer organization made up of area Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, the Clark County Amateur Radio Club, local trucking companies, area Boy and Girl Scout troops, local church and school groups, along with hundreds of other volunteers. All donations go toward to helping the hungry. Clark County Inter-service Walk & Knock is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization. This year’s lead sponsors are Gift Tree and Cost Less Auto Parts.
— Walk & Knock
