‘An ongoing problem’: Local leader addresses food insecurity in rural town

OTHELLO, Wash. – At 8 a.m. Thursday, people lined up outside Othello Christian Church, waiting for Second Harvest and the Othello Food Bank to set up and distribute free food to the small, rural community.

However, less than two hours later, representatives from food banks showed up.

Second Harvest — a nonprofit that serves a network of partner food banks in 21 counties in eastern Washington state and five counties in northern Idaho — traveled to Othello and partnered with the Othello Food Bank, as well as other volunteers in the area, to distribute free produce.

And the sight of cars lined up around the church where they had set up camp showed that food insecurity was an issue for many in the town.

Jose Garza, site manager and director of Othello Food Bank, has partnered with Second Harvest to help reduce food insecurity in Adams County. He said the situation has improved, but the need is still growing because of the large agricultural industry in the area.

“We have a lot of seasonal workers, farm workers, we have seniors, middle class — so food insecurity will always be an issue in Othello,” Garza said.

He added that with rising prices, the food bank remains a necessity for the community.

“If housing is up, food prices are up, gas prices are up,” Garza said. “I don’t see food insecurity going away anytime soon. If it is, it’s either going to go up or it’s going to plateau and stay the same.”

According to a 2022 DATA USA report, the poverty rate in Othello is 21.9%, which is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The report notes that 76% of the community is Latino.

Lydia Rocha, a longtime Othello resident, said she has used mobile food banks several times but was reluctant to do so at first because she was embarrassed.

“I felt bad, but then I saw that other people had it, too, you know? So I thought, well, if everyone has it, why not,” Rocha said.

She is disabled and awaiting knee surgery. She says she has not worked for several years, but relies on food from a mobile food bank.

Rocha said she managed to make beef soup for her family that would last several days, thanks to funds from a previous mobile food distribution event.

“I like it and I’m not ashamed anymore,” she said. “I need food and my children need it.”

Rocha had been waiting in line for an hour, behind Hilda Cardenas, who had been waiting for almost an hour and a half.

Cardenas said in Spanish that this was the second time she had received free produce from the food bank and that she immediately drove to the church when her son told her about it.

“I haven’t worked for two years and now I’m at home taking care of my kids, so it’s a blessing for me,” Cardenas said.

She added that she never uses social media and doesn’t know when these events are happening, so the last time she went to the food bank was last year when they were giving away turkeys for Thanksgiving.

“It was the biggest turkey I’ve ever seen,” she said with a laugh.

She added that if she goes there a second time, she will be able to prepare some meals for her family.

According to Second Harvest’s 2022 Accountability Report, 1 in 8 people in Adams County struggles with food insecurity, and 1 in 5 children struggles with food insecurity – similar statistics are reported in nearby Grant and Okanogan counties.

But Garza wants to remind people that food insecurity comes with other challenges, which is why he said the partnerships they form are important.

This would include working with Second Harvest, Skill Source (for those seeking a GED), OIC of Washington (for those seeking utility assistance), and Harvest Against Hunger, which also helps reduce food insecurity and food waste.

“The goal of eliminating (food insecurity) is not just supporting food banks. It’s educating them. It’s showing them how to garden. It’s a lot of factors,” Garza said.

The next time Second Harvest will visit Othello will be September 12th. However, the Othello Food Bank remains locally available to assist community members who may need extra help until then.