SPOKANE, Wash. — If you've trekked through your local supermarket over the past few weeks looking for supplies like eggs, rice, milk, or other food, there's a good chance those shelves have either been scarce, or empty.
Neighbors across Spokane are working to correct that problem.
Using the website and app called "Nextdoor," communities are popping up to share their extra food.
One group in particular is called the Neighborly Food Exchange.
Erik Nelson, a Spokane local who created the group, said the original goal was for people to request food they needed using the website or app.
"I thought at first you would have a lot of people asking for what they need, and I was shocked to see it was quite the opposite," Nelson says. "About 90% of people are posting what they have to share, and about 10% are asking for what they need. That was really a shock, and it just gives a chance for neighbors to help neighbors. That's what we are."
A quick scroll through the website or app shows off dozens of examples, from people offering brown rice and spaghetti to tomato sauce.
You'll even find an example of one local woman, currently undergoing chemotherapy, whose only request is lemons and tomatoes to help her deal with her nausea.
Within hours of her request, another neighbor is chiming in, saying those exact supplies are already on their way to her door step.
"That's what makes up Spokane, that's the magic of this community, its that we are very friendly, we talk to our neighbors, we talk to each other, we don't walk by without saying hello," Nelson chimes. "We're just very sociable people, and doing things like this provides an outlet for us to come together and just show the world how Spokane can be strong."
If you'd like to see what other groups are available in your neighborhood, you can visit nextdoor.com; input your address and you can immediately search your local community. Or, you can download the "Nextdoor" app on any smart phone or mobile device.