Historically, the Puyallups were known to exhibit generous and welcoming behavior to all people (friends and strangers) who enter their lands. Today, this continues to ring true with their efforts to stop hunger locally.
Even while reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians was able to provide charitable contributions of $568,000 in the first two quarters of 2020. The third and fourth quarter information will be made available at a later date. Charitable contributions are part of the Tribe’s gaming compact with the state.
Four organizations that received large donations ($50,000 or more) are helping in the battle against hunger: the Emergency Food Network, Northwest Harvest, Nourish Pierce County and the Puyallup Food Bank.
“The tribe’s donation of $60,000 provides 146,000 meals to people experiencing food insecurity and economic instability,” said Kristin Hyde, Communications Director at Northwest Harvest.
Hyde described the Tribe’s donation as “crucial” in helping the organization meet emergency hungry relief in Pierce County, from April through October.
Due to COVID-19, some families visited food banks for the first time ever.
“As we are all fully aware, the financial impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated countless families due to loss of work and the closure of many businesses, both large and small. Hence, the services that the Puyallup Food Bank delivery is needed now more than ever,” said Dean Johnson, CEO of Puyallup Food Bank. “The generous and faithful donation of $50,000 from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians is absolutely making a huge difference and let it be publicly known, that we at the Puyallup Food Bank are sincerely grateful.”
Nourish Pierce County, which received $50,000, reached its highest client numbers ever in its nearly 40-year history, due to the pandemic, according to Chief Executive Officer Sue Potter.
“We spent our entire food budget by mid-year,” Potter said. “But, because of the continued support of generous donors such as the Puyallup Tribe, we have continued to safely provide enough food for three meals a day for three days for each household member to anyone visiting our food banks.”
The Tribe’s charitable contributions are handled by the Puyallup Tribe Charity Trust Fund. Nonprofits can apply for charitable donations at https://bit.ly/2IvWVIe. The deadline for the next quarter is Dec 31.
