By Peggy Sue McRae, Journal contributor

August is here and that means it’s Fair time! The San Juan County Fair runs Aug. 15 – 18 and among the baby goats, quilts, rides and raffles the San Juan Island Community Foundation will be sponsoring the 2024 SJI CARES County Fair Giving Campaign. The Mullis Center is proud to have been selected as a participating non-profit and will be raising funds for the Fresh Bucks program. Fresh Bucks is a local, grassroots food security program that connects low-income islanders directly to locally grown and produced food from the San Juan Island Farmer’s Market.

Fresh Bucks is a 100% donation-based program sponsored by the Mullis Center, San Juan Island Farmers Market, and Soroptimist of Friday Harbor. During Fair Week, the Mullis Center will raise funds to make the Fresh Bucks program available to eligible island seniors and disabled adults in keeping with the mission of the Mullis Center. Soroptimist support makes Fresh Bucks available to women and children, while funds from the Farmers Market Association are unrestricted. San Juan County Health & Community Services provides staffing for coordination and support and the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center is the fiscal sponsor and provides bookkeeping support. This outstanding group of local entities comes together in support of the Fresh Bucks program under the umbrella organization Nourish to Flourish.

Eating well from local farms is a pleasure many islanders can appreciate but it can get expensive. The Fresh Bucks program provides eligible applicants with $40 in “Fresh Bucks” each Farmer’s Market day to spend on locally grown and produced food items. Any islander living at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level is eligible. Besides benefitting low-income islanders, the Fresh Bucks program benefits the Farmers Market by bringing added business to the Market’s vendors. Applications are available online in both English and Spanish at https://forms.gle/bs5ZCMw3xirjdpeSA or you can fill out an application at the Family Resource Center, County Health Department, or the Farmers Market booth on Saturdays.

Meanwhile, back at the Fair, be sure to stop by the Community Foundation booth. Through the Foundation’s giving campaign the first $1,000 in donations made to the Mullis Center and other non-profits will be fully matched by the foundation. Through the Foundation the Mullis Center will be eligible for up to $2500 in bonus grants awarded throughout the four days of the Fair. To learn more about Fresh Bucks and how you can support this project please visit the Mullis Center website mulliscenter.org/fresh-bucks.

Have a great time at the Fair! Somewhere between getting your annual ration of curly fries, cheering on the Zucchini 500 races, and admiring the fine handiwork of island quilters be sure to stop by the Community Foundation booth and give what you can to support this excellent cause.