Frequently asked questions

Answered by a team member at Whidbey Island Nourishes

• What is your mission?

  Whidbey Island Nourishes (WIN) is a volunteer-powered, nonprofit organization dedicated to nourishing youth on South Whidbey Island by providing no-cost, ready-to-eat healthy meals.

• How are donations used?

  Contributions are used to purchase the healthy food used in WIN's programs.

• What can be done with a $100 donation?

  $100 pays for 155 PB&J sandwiches or 400 cartons of milk or 500 homemade bean & rice burritos.

• What progress has been made already thanks to your donors?

  In 2007, our first year, we provided 240 lunches a month. As the need has grown, so has WIN. Thanks to support for our donors, we currently distribute over 400 meals a week directly to students in our school district. Another 300+ meals a week are available through our no-cost vending program and through our community partners (e.g. Family Resource Center, The HUB, South Whidbey Academy, House of Hope and Ryan’s House).

• What is the history of your organization?

  WIN was conceived in 2007 by Mary Fisher, a South Whidbey resident who was concerned about the growing number of homeless teens in her community. With input from local service providers along with community support, she and a group of friends identified that free, ready-to-eat food was missing from the array of services that were available to South Whidbey youth in need. Those women came together to form WIN and started distributing sandwiches. As time went on, they realized that it wasn’t just homeless teens, but younger children as well, who were experiencing hunger and from there WIN’s program to reduce childhood hunger on South Whidbey began to grow.