Clark County volunteers collected 210,000 pounds of food for the 40th annual Walk & Knock, the nation’s largest one-day food drive.
This year, organizers mailed 206,000 bags to homes across Clark County to fill with nonperishable foods and toiletries. On Saturday, about 2,000 volunteers collected the bags of food and items, which will be donated to the Clark County Food Bank.
Walk & Knock President Justin Wood said he was proud of this year’s turnout, despite the cold weather.
“The food is almost secondary. What’s most important is the amount of volunteers,” Wood said. “The main reason we do Walk & Knock is to engage the community and get kids involved in community service.”
To Help
Walk & Knock drop-off barrels will accept nonperishable food donations through today. They are at Clark County Riverview Bank branches, Les Schwab Tire Centers and McDonald’s. See a list at walkandknock.org/barrel-locations.
Although donations have returned to pre-pandemic levels, Wood said the number of volunteers has dropped from about 4,000 to 2,000, which was one of this year’s challenges.
As a result of lower volunteer turnout, some homes in Clark County were missed. However, community members can still bring nonperishable food donations to participating locations through today. Drop-off barrels are at Clark County Riverview Bank branches, Les Schwab Tire Centers and McDonald’s. (Find a list at walkandknock.org/barrel-locations.)
“While we have 2,000 volunteers, it is hard to cover the entire county, so homes do get missed,” Wood said. “We try to cover as much as we can, but we ask if we missed your home, to drop those donations off at one of the drop-off barrel locations.”
Walk & Knock works with various community organizations to organize the food drive, including NW Natural.
As part of an annual tradition, NW Natural sponsored a breakfast for 100 volunteer group leaders before they headed out to collect donations.
“Food insecurity is still a very real problem in Clark County, and Walk & Knock’s work is absolutely amazing,” said Nelson Holmberg, a community affairs manager for NW Natural. “As a company that cares about the wellness of the communities we serve, NW Natural is very proud to be a longtime supporter of the biggest food drive of the year, and we’re appreciative of the work of hundreds of volunteers across the county each year who literally walk neighborhoods to pick up filled bags from porches to stock the shelves of food banks and pantries across the region.”
In 2023, Walk & Knock collected 271,095 pounds of food and toiletries and $20,000 in cash.
Vancouver Lions Club members Bud Pasmore and Doug Rae started Walk & Knock in 1982 with help from the Hazel Dell and Orchards/Evergreen Lions clubs. Since it began, Walk & Knock has collected between 150,000 and 300,000 pounds of food annually.
The annual food drive has brought in more than 9.5 million pounds of food valued at $17.3 million, according to a news release from the organization.
“I just think it’s so basic for people to have food,” former Walk & Knock President Tom Knappenberger previously said. “Walk & Knock is local, it’s homegrown and it’s grown into the largest in the country. We should be proud of that here in Vancouver.”
