The WAVE (“What A Valuable Experience”) Food Drive began as a joint project of a number of Port Townsend churches 38 years ago. This year’s food drive on Saturday, Oct. 28, may be the last one.

“I’ve participated in the drive for the past 23 years, and run the drive for the past 11 years,” said Skip Cadorette, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Port Townsend. “But this is my last year, and because there’s no one to take my place, this will likely be the last WAVE Food Drive.”

Cadorette has written editorials for The Leader over the past couple of years, exhorting community members to love their neighbors by helping to feed their neighbors’ hunger. He hopes that giving spirit will continue through this year.

The WAVE Food Drive generated $27,759.39 in financial donations and 1,071 pounds of non-perishable food during 2022, including what Cadorette described as “a mini-wave” of $3,200 from Brinnon, as well as $16,240 that he credited to “the Kala Point contingent.”

Cadorette explained that, while participating churches and faith communities have spent the entire month collecting in-house food and financial donations from their congregations, Oct. 28 serves as the WAVE Food Drive Day for everyone else in those communities to pitch in.

Partnering churches plan to keep their doors open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that Saturday to take in donations, while the QFC Stores in Port Townsend and Port Hadlock are also inviting donors to drop off their contributions throughout the day.

Further details, including a full list of drop-off stations, can be found at wavefooddrive.wordpress.com online.

At the end of the WAVE Food Drive Day, all the partnering churches and community groups plan to deliver the donations they receive to the First Baptist Church of Port Townsend, at 1202 Lawrence St., whose volunteers plan to deliver all the food to the OlyCAP warehouse on the morning of Monday, Oct. 30, just as Cadorette plans to deliver the financial donations to the food banks.

Cadorette explained that financial donations are useful because all four Jefferson County food bank managers can go online to buy food from Food Lifeline, for prices as low as 3 cents per pound.

Checks should be made payable to the Jefferson County Food Bank Association, and include the WAVE Food Drive in the notes line.

Financial donors can also give at jeffersoncountyfoodbanks.org online, or by mail to Jefferson County Food Banks, P.O. Box 124, Port Hadlock, WA 98339.

“Every penny donated goes to buy food, and nothing else,” Cadorette said.

At the same time, Cadorette noted that non-perishable food donations are also useful, because “they typically provide a variety of items that Food Lifeline may not carry, but might be enjoyed by those in need.”

Donations of peanut butter, canned chicken and tuna are always in demand, as are canned chili, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, gelatin, dish soap and bar soap.

Canned foods past their expiration dates by less than three years may be donated, but opened food containers cannot be accepted.

However, opened shampoos, hand lotions, dish soaps and pet foods may also be donated.

Cadorette promised that donations would be split equally between Jefferson County’s Port Townsend, Tri-Area, Quilcene and Brinnon food banks, and he invited those with further questions to contact him by phone at 360-301-1665 or via email at skipnbekah@aol.com.