Marysville food bank’s new home is a hit
Published 10:45 pm Tuesday, January 6, 2009
MARYSVILLE — The line outside the food bank was long, but no one stood in the rain.
It used to be that clients of the Marysville Community Food Bank had to weather the elements on food distribution days.
On Tuesday, though, the large awning of the new food bank building on 88th Street sheltered everybody.
After a five-year effort to raise money and construct its new $1 million building, the Marysville Community Food Bank moved last week to its new location. Tuesday marked the first day that food was distributed there.
Shirley Pladson, 65, of Marysville was one of those in line. She used to donate to the food bank. Now she needs the services it provides.
A retired longtime nursing assistant, Pladson has cancer and hasn’t worked since September. Still, the prospect of seeing the new food bank lifted her spirits.
“I forgot my thank-you cards for the volunteers,” Pladson said. “The new food bank is just wonderful. God bless everyone who has given to this effort.”
The Marysville Community Food Bank, which feeds more than 300 families a week, had its beginnings in 1974 when former director JoAnn Mulligan began feeding people from the trunk of her car.
After it became part of the Snohomish County Food Bank Coalition, the food bank was housed for about 10 years in a building next to the Marysville YMCA.
The former food bank building was so small that many people stood outside in the cold waiting to get in, food bank director Joyce Zeigen said.
The new 5,600-square-foot building has much more room to handle crowds on distribution days. There is a huge new freezer and plenty of room for volunteers to organize the food.
Longtime volunteer Pat McGuire was excited to hand out food on Tuesday.
“We love the new building,” McGuire said.
At the new facility, people have the opportunity to choose the foods they need most, Zeigen said.
It’s a change that’s nice for the clients and it cuts down on waste, she said.
“This is a fresh new start for the food bank,” Zeigen said.
Sources of grant money have dried up for capital campaigns run by nonprofit groups, and funding for the new building was hard to come by, she said.
“The community really rose to the occasion and got the food bank built,” Zeigen said. “We are thrilled.”
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-34267 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Food bank
The new Marysville Community Food Bank building is located at 4150 88th St. NE behind St. Mary Catholic Church, which is located east of I-5 exit 200. The food bank’s new distribution times and days are 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 to 11 a.m. Fridays. Food can be donated from 8 to 11 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at the food bank. For more information, call 360-658-1054.
