Food For All coming to AniChe Cellars July 24

Organizers have lined up a five-course meal of Levantine cuisine, which features Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian dishes paired with local AniChe wine. Dinner will be accompanied by the live jazz music of the Quadraphonnes.

“We look forward to sharing a wonderful night of great food, music, and giving back!” said Anaïs Mera, winemaker and family owner of AniChe Cellars. “AniChe and my family’s ethos is all about being part of something bigger than ourselves and giving back where and when we can.  We have a deep appreciation for how the WAGAP Food Bank supports our neighbors in need, and we want to help their team have the resources they need to continue their mission. Food for ALL!” 

 This year’s entertainment comes from Portland and has ties with the AniChe family. The Quadraphonnes are an all-women, all-power four-piece saxophone band playing professionally in Portland and nationally for over 20 years. Their most recent works were a revival of Moondog’s Sax Pax For A Sax played with 11 other saxophonists, in a performance called “Saxophones for Peace”. “Buckle up, you haven’t heard jazz like this before!” Mera said.

“This year’s fundraising event is particularly important because of ongoing concerns about the budget for our food banks,” said Janeal Booren, Nutrition Programs Director at WAGAP. “National budget resources are being cut, and Pandemic-era grants for the Mobile Food Bank are ending. We are intentionally looking for new sources of funding to keep this important resource available for our rural communities.”

The event has a capacity for 50 guests, with individual tickets available at $150 and the option to purchase a table of eight for $1,100. Registration is available online through Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/4klTq3Q. 

“Last year, over 5,900 individuals representing 2,700 households were served by our WAGAP Food Bank Network,” Booren said. “This included distribution of over 890,000 pounds of food through our four sites in Stevenson, Bingen, Klickitat, and Goldendale, and the Mobile Food Bank serving rural communities in food deserts.”

Booren said the organization is grateful for all forms of assistance.  For anyone who may not be able to attend the event but wants to contribute, they are welcome to donate non-perishable food and non-food items through the local branches, which are all listed online at https://www.wagap.org/food-banks-nutrition. A list is also available on the website of the ten donations that are most often needed.

“We are so grateful for partners like AniChe Cellars, Wellpoint, Riverview Bank, First Interstate Bank, and more, which make these events possible and bring a spotlight on the issue of food insecurity,” Booren said. 

“Many of our rural communities do not have access to affordable food and rely on the Mobile Food Bank to carry them over until they are able to travel to the closest grocery store, usually a 45-minute drive, one way,” she said. “We hope we are successful in raising enough money to continue the Mobile Food Bank without interruption. It is an essential resource to access monthly food boxes for rural families to thrive.”

Financial donations to the WAGAP Food Bank Network and other programs can also be made directly at https://www.wagap.org/donate, at a local WAGAP office, or by mail to P.O. Box 805, Bingen, WA 98605.