Simply by heading to one of their favorite Enumclaw restaurants, diners will be able to help put groceries on the tables of those in need.

The annual Dine Out For Hunger event is this Friday, Oct. 27, with eight restaurants participating.

The effort is sponsored by Neighbors Feeding Neighbors, a task force of Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation that has an ongoing mission to reduce hunger across the Plateau.

The concept is simple: on the 27th, diners at participating restaurants will have the opportunity to add a donation to their final tab. The extra money will be noted as a tax-deductible donation to the RFWF and allocated specifically to the Neighbors Feeding Neighbors fund.

Participating restaurants are Griffin and Wells, The Mint, Rainier Bar and Grill, Jackson’s, Kelly’s Mercantile, El Camino, The Lee and Il Siciliano.

The need for assistance is made clear by the Wellness Foundation, which provides the following statistice:

• each Monday, Wednesday and Friday nearly 50 meals are delivered to the homes of senior citizens who are not able prepare a meal for themselves;

• every Thursday, between 90 and 100 low-income family members are served a warm, home-cooked meal;

• and every Friday nearly 300 Enumclaw School District elementary and middle school students receive a bag of food to take home to prepare and consume over the weekend. Some children leave school on Friday with lunch being the last warm meal they consume until they return to school on Monday morning for breakfast. Currently, 39 percent of the district’s students qualify for a program that provides lunch for free or at a reduced cost.

For information or how to become involved Neighbors Feeding Neighbors activities, contact René Popke at 360-802-3206 or renep@rfwellnessfoundation.org.