The event began last year when Logos partnered with Homestead Ministries to help stock food pantries for the cold months ahead.

Music played and children laughed and visited cheerfully while they turned measured bulk legumes, grains and spices into plastic packaging at an accelerated pace in order to meet an ambitious goal.

“I’m getting the system down,” high school junior Boden Lloyd said between measuring ingredients and directing younger children to the spices. “We’re trying to make 15,000. We’re trying to beat our goal by 5,000 since last year.”

“At the food banks we hardly ever get meal items, so it’s great to get one thing that’s a complete meal,” said Paige Collins, executive director from the Council on Aging and Human Services. “This is especially awesome. We may get tons of other donations but this is more important than most of them because it has all of the pieces of a whole meal.”

Linda Nickels said the Latah County Food bank also did well donation wise this year, with an abundance of produce from Backyard Harvest as well as individuals sharing from their own gardens. “Now most people are pulling their gardens up, so it’s mainly apples and squash,” she said.

“The numbers of people using has really climbed the last couple of years,” she said, but for now the numbers are steadying.

But with winter right around the corner, both women expect an influx of families. Between the holiday season, high electric bills and lay-off time for seasonal workers, many need an extra hand.

Collins said the Logos and Homestead Ministries donation helps to fill in the gap before Thanksgiving, “When everyone and their mother wants to donate,” she said. “And the kids are so excited about it, it just makes me happy in my heart.”

To donate to the Moscow Food Bank, visit their location at 110 North Polk St in Moscow.