Submitted by the Town of Friday Habor

All donations made in November to the Town of Friday Harbor’s Harbor Life Ring utility assistance fund will be forwarded to the Friday Harbor Food Bank. The town will match community donations up to a total of $2,000. This is twice the match offered in past years. Utility customers can donate by marking the Harbor Life Ring line item on their bills that are going out on Nov. 1.

Now in its eighth year, the annual November contribution from supporters of the Harbor Life Ring program helps the food bank provide for island families during the holiday season when the need threatens to outweigh the supply.

“The need is already higher than normal and growing,” Mayor Farhad Ghatan said. “The Town has doubled the amount of matching funds as the exhaustion of unemployment benefits and COVID-related stimulus assistance is putting a tremendous strain on our local Food Bank.”

Last year, the food bank received $5,244 from this annual campaign, including $1,000 in town matching funds. Food bank president and former San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming said this significantly improved its ability to offer fresh vegetables and protein. He said they are funded entirely through donations and spend over $7,000 each month to serve almost 500 households on the island.

The Harbor Life Ring program was established in 2013 to assist families in need of financial relief on their town utility bills. The program is funded through donations that Town customers add to their monthly bill payments.