AniChe Cellars and Washington Gorge Action Programs will bring Columbia’s 9th Annual Food For All fundraiser to Underwood on Friday, August 14, at 4:30 p.m. The evening at AniChe Cellars will support the WAGAP Food Bank Network, which serves thousands of individuals and families across Klickitat and Skamania counties.
The event pairs dinner with local wines, live music, a collaborative live art project, and an ancestor art installation. Isabeau Waia'u Walker will provide live music, Chris Cazares will lead the collaborative live art project, and Gracen Bookmyer will present the ancestor art installation.
Anaïs Mera on AniChe Cellars
Anaïs Mera, the winemaker and family owner of AniChe Cellars, said, "We look forward to sharing a wonderful night of great food, music, and giving back!" She also said, "AniChe and my family’s ethos is all about being part of something bigger than ourselves and giving back where and when we can."
Mera added, "We have a deep appreciation for how the WAGAP Food Bank supports our neighbors in need, and we want to help their team have the resources they need to continue their mission. Food for ALL!" That puts the fundraiser in practical terms: a one-night gathering that turns ticket sales into operating support for a network serving multiple communities in Washington.
WAGAP Food Bank Network
Janeal Booren, WAGAP’s Nutrition Programs Director, said the network served over 2300 individuals representing over 900 households last year and distributed over 950,000 pounds of food. The WAGAP Food Bank Network operates food banks in Bingen, Goldendale, Klickitat, and Stevenson, and it also runs a Mobile Food Bank for isolated communities with limited access to grocery stores and other food resources.
Booren said, "USDA funds are no longer going to be available for purchasing local produce." She also said, "We would like to sustain the availability of this produce for our clients and community fundraising events like this make it possible."
Local funds and produce
That shift changes what local fundraising has to cover. Booren said, "Because of the reduction in USDA funds, we are directing more local funds on purchasing proteins such as chicken and hamburger as well as produce from our local grower." She also said, "Over the last few years, we have benefited from funds available through USDA to procure produce from our growers throughout the Gorge."
Individual tickets are $150, and the fundraiser gives supporters a direct way to help keep food moving through the network as federal purchasing support recedes. For readers in Klickitat County and Skamania County, the event is less a gala than a funding bridge for the food banks and the Mobile Food Bank they already rely on.
