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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Then and Now: Annual turkey giveaway

1995: Deloris Walker organizes paper bags filled with donated food for the Thanksgiving food basket distribution run by the Salvation Army in Spokane. Donated food was collected by the Boy Scouts, and many turkeys were donated by the Spokane Food Bank. Other items which make up the Thanksgiving feast were donated by shoppers at local grocery stores. (Liz Kishimoto/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
1995: Deloris Walker organizes paper bags filled with donated food for the Thanksgiving food basket distribution run by the Salvation Army in Spokane. Donated food was collected by the Boy Scouts, and many turkeys were donated by the Spokane Food Bank. Other items which make up the Thanksgiving feast were donated by shoppers at local grocery stores. (Liz Kishimoto/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
By Jesse Tinsley jesset@spokesman.com(509) 459-5378

Many churches and charities have offered free turkey dinners at Thanksgiving, but the tradition of giving away food baskets with a frozen turkey and groceries is only about 40 years old.

Around 1988, several churches came together to open Our Place Community Ministries outreach center, 1018 N. Elm St., for a clothing and food bank.

Over the next 16 years, many clients went to Our Place for a food basket with a turkey and other grocery items for Thanksgiving.

The Salvation Army began offering food baskets in the 1980s, also. In 1991, The Spokesman-Review wrote that people would begin to line up at 2 a.m. for food boxes. By the end of the second day, the Salvation Army had given away enough food to feed 3,268 people. That was up from 300 baskets the year before.

In 2003, Our Place consolidated the distribution at the Salvation Army, 222 E. Indiana Ave.

Growing from hundreds of meal boxes in the 1980s to well over 10,000 each year, the distribution location has moved several times to accommodate the crowds, using the Spokane Arena and the Spokane Fair and Expo Center. The effort brings together dozens of agencies, charities and businesses.

Behind much of the charitable food distribution has been Second Harvest Inland Northwest, which channels food donations from large producers, growers, food brokers and grocery stores to dozens of smaller food banks around 26 counties of Eastern Washington. Food drives held by schools, churches and service clubs are a small percentage of the overall food supply. Thousands volunteer their time each week to pack bags and boxes at the warehouse, 1234 E. Front Ave., which doesn’t distribute directly to the public. “We’re a food bank for other food banks,” explained Eric Williams, Community Partnerships director at Second Harvest.

The nonprofit organization began as the Spokane Food Bank, founded by Kay Porta around 1971. She worked in child welfare for the state’s Department of Social and Health Services. Looking for ways to help families in the state welfare system, she started the food bank at 157 S. Howard St.

In the 1990s, the name changed to Second Harvest Inland Northwest.

This is the 25th year that KREM2 weatherman Tom Sherry has lent his name to Tom’s Turkey Drive to encourage donations for the holiday meal.

Kay Porta died in 2020 at age 96.