The number of people requesting food from Partners INW, previously called Spokane Valley Partners, has increased by about 370% in the last five years, says Calvin Coblentz, CEO of the nonprofit organization.
Partners INW is a lead agency for Spokane County's food pantry network, which is made up of almost two dozen food pantries. Using funds from the Washington Department of Agriculture, the organization distributed 2.5 million pounds of food last year.
The increase in need, Coblentz says, still has a lot to do with the fallout from COVID and resulting rent increases. Higher monthly rents are squeezing budgets and making it harder to pay for groceries.
"It's food insecurity pushing up into the middle class," he says.
Partners INW changed its name last October to better reflect how much of the area the Spokane Valley-based nonprofit serves. It serves 17 counties in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, helping everyone from infants to seniors. In addition to food, Partners INW also distributes clothing — about 1 ton a week — through free clothing banks, and it's the only diaper bank in the region.
Partners INW's staff members have access to a wholesale network to buy diapers on the cheap, which is one of the ways they're able to double or triple the impact of dollars donated to their programs. But they'll always accept physical donations from anyone who wants to buy at retail price or host their own fundraising drive. They also rely on hundreds of volunteers each year to move pound after pound of food and clothing.
The organization also recently bought the Ziggy's Home Improvement store on Sprague in Spokane Valley, which will be renovated in 2026. The 65,000-square-foot warehouse will allow Partners INW to become an even more effective regional distribution center. Anyone hoping to donate to those renovation efforts can get in touch with Terri Fortner, director of philanthropy, at terrif@partnersinw.org, or Coblentz at calc@partnersinw.org.