Blog | Serve Washington

Harnessing reading power through service

Apr 24, 2025 by Serve Washington

Tutoring students at these grade levels has helped me feel like I am also learning and growing right alongside them. I am beginning to make a positive impact.

WSVSA Winner: FISH Food Bank. Pantries and Open Table Meal Service

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

ELLENSBURG--At FISH Food Bank, Pantries and Open Table Meal Service in Kittitas County, volunteers do more than stock shelves or serve meals. They provide hope, dignity, and connection for those facing food insecurity.

WSVSA 2025 winner: Diya Kumar

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

For the past two and a half years, she has spent an hour every week sharing stories, sparking conversations, and building meaningful relationships with the seniors who eagerly anticipate her visits.

WSVSA 2025 Winner: Share Meal and Nutrition programs

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

From school backpack initiatives to hot meals served daily, these volunteers embody the spirit of service, ensuring that thousands in the community have access to nutritious food.

WSVSA 2025 Winner: Gene Stines

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

His journey into volunteerism began under difficult circumstances-his wife was admitted to a nursing home, leaving him searching for purpose and connection. What he found was a calling that would not only fill his days but transform the lives of the seniors he serves.

WSVSA 2025 winner: Girl Scouts of Clarkston Service Unit

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

With approximately 130 Girl Scouts ranging from kindergarteners to high school seniors, the Clarkston Service Unit takes this initiative to heart. In 2024 alone, they successfully donated 3,500 boxes of cookies to U.S. military personnel stationed in various locations, bringing a comforting taste of home to those serving abroad.

WSVSA 2025 winner: Noemi Cagatin-Porter

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

Noemi Cagatin-Porter knows firsthand what it's like to struggle with housing insecurity. As an immigrant from the Philippines who once faced homelessness as a mother of three, she understands the barriers many low-income families encounter when searching for safe, affordable housing. That lived experience is what drives her service today.

WSVSA winner: Kiwanis Club of Puyallup

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

Whether they're directing traffic at the Grand Floral Parade at the Daffodil Festival, marking streets for vendors at Meeker Days, or serving food at the annual spaghetti feed, Kiwanis Club of Puyallup volunteers help bring Puyallup's most cherished community traditions to life.

WSVSA 2025 winner: Gretchen Sewart

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

Volunteering as a guardian ad litem is not for the faint of heart. Volunteers witness firsthand the heartbreaking challenges children in dependency cases and their families face. Despite this, Sewart finds deep fulfillment in her service.

WSVSA 2025 winner: Pascal Schuback

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

When disaster strikes, communities rely on both trained professionals and dedicated volunteers. Pascal Schuback is both.

WSVSA 2025 winner: Ian's Ride

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

Volunteers at Ian's Ride events take on a variety of critical roles to ensure smooth and successful experiences for participants. They drive shuttle buses and wheelchair vans, accompany riders on bicycles, staff aid stations, and handle event registration.

WSVSA winner: Ethan Hunger

Mar 31, 2025 by Serve Washington

In 2024, he completed an 18-hour fitness challenge in which he burned an estimated 12,000 calories, while raising an astonishing $249,419 for the food bank. His grueling endurance challenge-including a 115-mile bike ride, a three-mile lake swim, a high-intensity interval workout, a full marathon run and a mountain bike ride-is meant to symbolize the struggle of those facing food insecurity.