local cuisine a bountiful harvest
A Bountiful Harvest BY THE NUMBERS
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refugee connections spokane, 2012:
5,872
pounds of produce given away
900
pounds of produce given to Second Harvest Food Bank
351
hours of volunteer work
54
refugee volunteers
3-cheese
grilled cheese
w/tomato bisque soup for lunch $
6.95
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Visit Us at the Liberty Lake Farmer's Market Bakery · Restaurant 9910 N | Waikiki Rd | Spokane WA (509) 468-2720
hours
Mon - Fri 6:30am to 3pm Sat & Sun 7:30am to 3pm 184
Spokane CDA • September • 2013
8
countries represented by the refugees
second year, they gave away the produce personally at the East Central Community Center to members of this poverty-stricken neighborhood. As Vang once said, “From our hands to theirs.” It was a win-win for everyone: the land owners didn’t have leftover fruit that would fall to the ground and spoil (and they didn’t have to pay anyone to remove it), the refugees engaged with one another and made friends, and families that otherwise couldn’t afford fresh produce now enjoyed this luxury. That was an incredible—and very successful—start to Vang’s vision. But it wasn’t the end. The refugees, now beginning to connect with their new community, wanted to celebrate. And so began the tradition of the Harvest Celebration, where new friends from different cultures gathered to share their favorite traditional meals with community supporters, donors and recipients and their joy of beginning to feel at home in Spokane. In 2012, Refugee Connections nearly doubled the number of landowners and farmers who would participate in the Harvest Project. Now, there are more than 20 locations where refugees go to collect not only fruits, like apples and grapes, but also squash, zucchini and any other produce that gardeners have in abundance—precious foods that provide other families with muchneeded nutrition. Going from twelve farm locations to more than 20 has presented its challenges. Like transportation. Storage. Refrigeration. And more coordinated efforts for making sure all the produce is distributed quickly. Consider
that Refugee Connections only has one fulltime and one part-time staff member and you think, “This is impossible!” But it’s not. The passionate people who brought the Harvest Project to life have engaged dozens of volunteers, secured donated storage and refrigeration for the goods they collect, and continue to build upon an idea dreamed up by a single woman with a vision. “We want people in Spokane to know that we have the skills to work,” Vang says, “to show that we are hardworking, not just coming and waiting for help.” Sustained only by grants and donations, Refugee Connections has truly made a difference for people who are looking for their place in a new land. Through the Harvest Project, refugees are using their skills to provide for their families and building long-lasting friendships in their new hometown. “They are joyous to work in fields and gardens, remembering their much earlier lives when there was peace in their countries,” says Hales. “Many of the elders are isolated at home in Spokane much of the time and this project offers an opportunity to get out and socialize while they work.” “(This project) is like medicine,” says Vang. “They get fresh air and feel better.” Making the connection It was a bright blue top with a distinctive pattern that drew a young African man to Hales. She had purchased the clothing while on a medical mission trip to Tanzania, and was among dozens of community organizers at World Refugee Day in Spokane last year, where hundreds of immigrants gathered
Nsengiyumva and Hales, in the Tanzanian prints that identified them as a kindred spirit.