There’s one thing you can truthfully say about a down economy, at least as far as Whidbey Islanders are concerned: It hasn’t impacted a generous spirit of giving that continues even when the holiday season has passed.

The Interfaith Coalition of Whidbey Island’s “Feed the Need” canned food drive last Saturday lasted from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and in that time, the group managed to collect 3,000 pounds of canned and dry food donations for the North Whidbey Help House.

Hap Fakkema, the coalition’s president, thanked all who donated or volunteered, “for being very generous with helping us stock our local food bank,” according to a statement on the group’s Facebook page.

One of those volunteers was Laurell Brault, a retired Navy Captain.

“I totally believe in congregations working together to make a difference in their communities,” said Brault, a member of Living Word Foursquare Church in Oak Harbor.

Brault said although she’s retired from active military service now, she’s determined to use that extra energy and time in a positive way by volunteering for worthwhile causes such as the food drive.

She wasn’t alone. At least 30 individuals, some with ties to the Navy or other branches, were out in force on Saturday. They included Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Chris Aufderhar and Naval Aircrewman Mechanical 3rd Class Joshua Olson of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s Maritime Patrol Squadron (VP) 46, and Aufderhar’s wife, Sandy. The three were stationed in front of Walmart, where they manned a shopping cart that was steadily piling up with donations of food items.

When asked about the food drive, AO1 Aufderhar stated it very simply: “We wanted to get out, and help out,” he said, as Sandy thanked people placing cans of food in the cart.

Other groups were lending a hand as well. Dudley McNutt and Eric Young, members of Brothers in Arms, a local motorcycle club with an interest in veterans assistance outreaches, were busy helping out at the group’s main collection site at the corner of SR 20 and Pioneer Way.

“This is our fourth year helping with the food drive,” McNutt said. He explained that Brothers in Arms is composed of veterans from all service branches, active duty and retired, who desire to help veterans in need.

“We are very family-oriented, and helping families in need is our passion,” said McNutt. “Whether that takes the form of a food drive, helping homeless veterans, or very soon, a summertime fundraiser for a Pets for Vets project, we try to get onboard,” he said.

Jean Wieman, North Whidbey Help House executive director, said she was pleased and grateful for what she called a generous outpouring by the community, a generosity which isn’t necessarily reserved for the most financially fit among us.

“It turns out that families we’ve assisted in the past, not only tell us ‘thank you,’ but sometimes give donations too, once they’ve gotten back on their feet.”

She cited the case of a military family whose car had broken down in Tacoma during their move to Whidbey Island. The family was put in touch with North Whidbey Help House, which assisted them with groceries. Two months after that, the mother came back to thank them personally, and dropped off a $50 check.

Wieman estimates that North Whidbey Help House assists six military families a month with groceries, on average. This past Thanksgiving saw the delivery of 167 food baskets to military families and 186 for Christmas.

Fakkema said that collaborating on the food drive was a good start that he hopes will lead to other actions benefitting the population at large.

“We’d like to invite others to meet with us, and bring us their ideas for accomplishing that in our community,” he said.

More information:

Interfaith Coalition of Whidbey Island usually meets the third Monday of each month.

For more information about how you can help, email Hap Fakkema at fakkemak@comcast.net.