TONASKET- Tonasket resident and retired school art teacher Diana Weddle received an individual Washington State Volunteer Service Award for her service at the Tonasket Food Bank.
Weddle has been volunteering at the food bank for 13 years. As co-chair of the food bank, Weddle is in charge of purchasing food, writing grants and working with local farmers to bring protein into the food bank. She helps unload trucks of food and helps set up during food distribution days. Weddle says about 230-260 families per week visit the food bank.
"The most rewarding part about volunteering is you feel really good about it," Weddle said. "These people are so grateful for the food bank and it's a good interaction with the community. Volunteers say it's the best part of their week. You are doing some wonderful things and it's a happy place to be."
In addition to her volunteerism with the food bank, Weddle lends her art talents to a city project called "The Perfect Passage," beautification and redevelopment project for US 97 and the downtown corridor. Part of the project called for local artists to create art paying homage to the indigenous people and Hispanic heritage. Weddle has been working on a project that depicts animals and the language of the Sylix Okanogan Nation that will be displayed on a city bridge.
