Vashon opened its heart — and its pocketbook — to the food bank and its customers this holiday season.

Many thanks to:

• Vashon Cohousing for conducting an auction and the artists of Waterworks Studio for organizing a raffle, with proceeds from both going to the food bank.

• Vashon Events, for hosting its annual “Will Sing for Vashon” concert that benefitted the food bank and other nonprofits.

• Vashon High School students, for organizing a holiday food drive that produced an astounding 2,600 grocery items for food bank customers.

• The Vashon Chamber of Commerce, for graciously including the food bank in the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Santa Parade, providing us an opportunity to solicit groceries and cash.

• The organizers of the first Vashon World AIDS Day, for donating a portion of the proceeds from that four-day commemoration.

• Windermere Vashon, for extra food donations.

• John L. Scott Vashon, for letting us use their truck for extra trips to Seattle warehouses to pick up groceries to meet the increased seasonal demand.

• Thriftway and IGA, for letting us set up camp outside their doors one day each week in November and December for food drives; and

• Thriftway customers, for buying more than $5,500 worth of “care cards” — donations to the food bank — at checkstands. Thriftway matched that with $5,000 of its own.

One of every seven households on Vashon came to the food bank for groceries and other essentials at some point last year. These aren’t strangers — they’re our neighbors and friends.

The community’s generosity this holiday season reaffirms our belief that Vashon truly does care, and shares our commitment that no one on this island should go hungry.

— Robbie Rohr

Executive Director, Vashon Maury Community Food Bank