OLYMPIA – The state Senate Monday passed a resolution honoring the Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels program.

Senate Resolution 8626 recognizes the contributions made by the organization and its volunteers in delivering more than 1,000 meals every day to seniors and vulnerable adults throughout the community.

“This program has proven its value to the community over the last 47 years,” said Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane County, sponsor of the resolution. “Not only does it get food to people who need it, Meals on Wheels provides contact for many who live in isolation. There are many cases where the Meals-on-Wheels delivery is only outside contact a senior will have for the entire day.”

Ceremonies on the Senate floor were attended by representatives of the Spokane Valley-based program. A similar resolution was passed by the state House Feb. 28.

The full resolution states:

WHEREAS, Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels was founded in the basement of the Spokane Valley United Methodist Church in 1972, to fight hunger and social isolation among vulnerable adults in the region; and

 

WHEREAS, The daily works performed by the organization’s director, Marta Harrington; assistant director, Mark Laskowski; board of directors; staff; and volunteers prevent vulnerable adults in the community from going hungry; and

 

WHEREAS, Their team provides the only home delivery meal program that serves all of Spokane County, from Elk and Deer Park on the north to Rockford and Fairfield on the south, Liberty Lake on the east and Medical Lake on the west; and

 

WHEREAS, Staff and volunteers prepare more than 1,000 fresh-made meals a day, Monday through Friday, served at 12 locations where patrons can enjoy their meals with peers and friends, and delivered to homes between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and

 

WHEREAS, Each meal served fulfills a third of the daily nutrition and calorie requirements, and allows vulnerable adults to remain living independently while supplementing their lives with social contact; and

 

WHEREAS, The organization’s collective efforts span 45 delivery routes across all 1,281 square miles of Spokane County, serving over 250,000 meals annually and providing a lifeline that connects vulnerable adults to necessary resources and offers them peace of mind; and

 

WHEREAS, The organization’s strength has been its volunteers and organizers, from cofounder Norma Trefry, who guided its growth from a small church-based organization, to Pam Almeida, who served as executive director for 19 years, under whose leadership the program6further grew and prospered; and

 

WHEREAS, Not a single delivery was missed during the snowstorms of the last month; and

WHEREAS, The Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels further advocates for vulnerable adults through their annual Champions Week event during the national March for Meals awareness month to advance the efforts and resources impacting their community;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor the Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels director, Marta Harrington; assistant director, Mark Laskowski; board of directors; staff; and volunteers, for their extraordinary efforts and their devotion to the vulnerable adults of Spokane County; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Marta Harrington, Mark Laskowski, and the Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels board of directors, staff, and volunteers.