Demand growing at county food banks
Published 10:58 pm Thursday, November 13, 2008
MARYSVILLE — Food banks in north Snohomish County face the same challenges that are putting financial pressure on most charitable programs throughout the state.
More people are out of work and some of those who donate regularly have less to give.
Food banks in Arlington, Stanwood and Marysville have seen increases of 20 percent to 30 percent in the number of people who need extra help from the food bank shelves.
What keeps the programs running are the community food drives that probably will help meet the needs during Thanksgiving and Christmas, food bank volunteers said.
“Marysville is amazing,” volunteer Alonna Chatburn said. “The food bank is well supported right now.”
However, Chatburn, who also serves on the board of the Marysville Community Food Bank, expects to see even more people line up on Tuesday and Saturday mornings to receive food.
More than 1,300 people a month are served by the food bank in Marysville, and that number always rises during the holidays, Chatburn said. After Christmas, those needs won’t go away, she said.
“We have lots of new clients, about 25 percent more in the last few months,” Chatburn said.
In Stanwood, food bank director Jeanie Ovenell said she feels fearful when she looks at the books of the Stanwood-Camano Food Bank and Thrift Store.
“Just in the last two months we’ve had a 30 percent increase in people who need help,” Ovenell said. “That number is climbing so fast it’s scary.”
Donations at the Stanwood food bank are down, but current food drives should help supply holiday food, Ovenell said.
Arlington Community Food Bank secretary-treasurer Sharon Moon said food donations there are down as much as 40 percent and client numbers are up 20 percent.
“With the holidays coming, we aren’t as desperate as we were in September,” Moon said. “We should be OK, but it’s tight.”
After the announced closure of boatbuilder Meridian Yachts in Arlington, Moon said she was prepared for a loss in donations from company employees.
“Meridian Yachts used to bring in pallets of food for the holidays,” Moon said. “Now we want those folks to know that we are ready to serve them if they need help.”
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Help fill the pantries
For more information about how to get help or how to donate to food programs in north Snohomish County, call Arlington Community Food Bank, 360-435-1631; Darrington Food Bank, 360-436-1833; Marysville Community Food Bank, 360-658-1054; or Stanwood-Camano Food Bank, 360-629-2789.
