Wheel Life: Volunteers hit the streets to feed the hungry
Every Sunday afternoon, no matter what the weather, Scott and Ava Lasater park their 1976 Dodge Dreamliner under the I-90 viaduct near downtown Spokane and hand out lunches to the homeless.
“There is such a need out here,” said Ava Lasater, bundled up in her scarf and winter jacket. “We do the best we can.”
The Lasaters are members of Church on the Street, a small congregation with a home fellowship in Spokane Valley.
Every Thursday afternoon, members of the church stop by the Spokane Valley Food Bank and pick up perishable items that cannot be held over until Monday.
“I would rather people eat it than toss it out or give it to animal farms,” said Barbara Bennett, director at the Spokane Valley Food Bank.
It might be lettuce, hot dog buns or buttermilk.
“Whatever we get,” said Ava Lasater, “we use to feed the guys on Sunday.”
One week it is chili dogs, the next it could be baloney and cheese.
“They are very resourceful in making something from nothing,” said Bennett.
“They will take what’s available and make hot soup or sandwiches out of it.”
This time of year it is usually a hot dish prepared in one of the church member’s homes and then transported in the Lasaters’ 30-year-old motor home.
“We bought the RV a couple of months ago for a very, very low price,” said Scott Lasater one recent bone-chilling Sunday afternoon as he brewed a small pot of coffee on the rig’s propane stove.
“The main reason we got it,” he continued, “was to use it as sort of a ‘warming kitchen’ for the hot food we hand out.”
What little storage there is in the 24-foot RV is given over to large containers of dried beans, rice and powered milk; along with blankets, toiletries and clothing they have gathered as donations.
“The guys are asking if we had gloves,” said Ava Lasater. “Their hands are freezing.”
Last Sunday around 60 people stopped by the green-striped RV, said the Rev. Ron Cole, pastor of Church on the Street.
“We are always in need of things,” said Cole. “Right now we are looking for knit caps, lined gloves, wool socks, warm blankets, and underwear for both men and women.”
People with donations can stop by Fourth Avenue and McClellan Street on Sunday between 2:30 and 4 p.m. or call the Lasaters at (509) 926-5758.
Contact information
“ Church on the Street, 12806 E. Main Ave., Suite B; Spokane Valley.
“ Spokane Valley Community Center and Food Bank, 10814 E. Broadway Ave., Spokane Valley; (509) 928-7769. Open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for donations.
“ Second Harvest Food Bank, 1234 E. Front Ave., Spokane, (509) 534-6678; Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Both food banks can use donations of shelf staples, any kind of protein including peanut butter and tuna fish, and perishable items such as fresh vegetables and fruit.
“If people need it in their lives,” says Bennett, “we give it away.”
Where to find books
A couple of readers have called in asking where to find the books, especially “Casino Camping,” mentioned in last week’s Wheel Life article on free and low-cost camping.
All of the books listed are available through RVBookstore.com (www.rvbookstore.com) or by calling toll free (800) 274-9378.
Many of the titles are also available through online booksellers such as Amazon (www.amazon.com) and Barnes and Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com).
Because every book has a unique ISBN (International Standard Book Number), it was included with each title to make it easier for people who want to order the book through local book stores.
RV holiday memory
One last chance to share your favorite holiday RV memories.
Maybe you walked the warm beaches of Baja California or browsed through the flea markets of Quartzsite.
Send in your favorite memory by Tuesday to be included in next week’s Wheel Life article.
Call (509) 459-5435, e-mail juliannec@spokesman.com, or write to Wheel Life, The Spokesman-Review, 999 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane, WA 99201.