The Bellingham Business Journal

St. Francis Hospital has made a $500 donation to the Bellingham Food Bank. The nursing facility used to send gift baskets during the holiday season to those who referred patients to St. Francis, but decided to do this instead.

“We found out that this is a win/win situation,” said St. Francis Administrator Tonja Myers. “Not only do we help people in need, but those who refer patients to us absolutely love this program.”

Mike Cohen, executive director for the Bellingham Food Bank, said he hopes the idea will be contagious.

“It would be great if other businesses in town followed the example set by St. Francis,” Cohen said. “It’s been a tough year for us with greatly increased demand for our services.”