Let Us Feast

This time of year can be a challenge for young people and the caregivers who look after them. If You Could Save Just One, an entrepreneurial non-profit in Northeast Spokane, provides activities, resources and opportunities to help at-risk youth and their families develop paths to success.

“Many of the families we work with do not have homes or home situations where cooking and preparing a meal is possible or tangible right now,” says Natalia Gutierrez, director of If You Could Save Just One. “Most of our kids are from low-income homes, or are in situations involving court orders, or live with foster families, or have a parent who is incarcerated, or are homeless.”

This year, when she asked if any local partners would prepare meals that she could provide to these families, Gonzaga University and Sodexo jumped in. Sodexo chefs will prepare more than 200 dinners and the non-profit If You Could Save Just One will deliver them to youth who have signed up for their projects.

Excited at the opportunity to keep the harvest feast tradition alive for neighbors, Sodexo District Manager Patrick Clelland remarked, “This is a great opportunity to do what we do best! We’re living our mission, and it feels awesome!”

If You Could Save Just One provides funding for the cost of the food items, and Sodexo volunteers will prepare and donate the cost of labor. 

“Working hand in hand, we’re filling a gap for these families,” Gutierrez says.