Congratulations on the new banner for your newspaper! Your growth is indicative of your care and dedication to the paper and the community.

Thank you for the coverage in the January issue, and especially the Seattle Sun Adopt-a-Charity. The North Helpline Food Bank has weathered all kinds of obstacles over the last nine weeks of operations. We even had to move a 10,000-pound dry-storage container and a 26-foot cooler!

We started with 88 families the first week, and were told we would only have a maximum of 100 families. After only the nine weeks of operation, we registered our 516th family, and each week we see new families. I anticipate the Boeing layoffs and the subsequent domino affect will add more.

I did receive a grant from the Seattle Foundation, so that will allow me to hire a part-time director.

Again, thank you so much for all the good you do for the community!

- RITA ANDERSON, North Helpline, Lake City