After holidays, food bank might have trouble meeting needs
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, December 6, 2015
EVERETT — The food bank run by Volunteers of America of Western Washington served about 1,400 people and families Thanksgiving week, but after the New Year, the situation is looking lean.
The bank distributed 60-70 pounds of food, including turkey, to all comers during the holiday week, said Bill Kraut, the supervisor for the food bank, thanks to some last minute donations.
Kraut said he estimates that the bank has enough food for the Christmas holidays as well.
“We have enough to get us through,” he said. “I’m a little worried about what happens then.”
What happens is that the traditional holiday donation period gets supplanted by a long winter and spring dry spell, broken only by the annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive in May.
“We kind of have to rely on people during this donation period to get us through to spring when the next donation period comes,” Kraut said.
What’s also happening is that more people are seeking out help from the food bank this year, despite signs of a stronger economy.
“A lot of people have found jobs,” Kraut said, but the main Everett food bank is seeing both more people overall as well as more first-time visitors.
In previous years, the Everett location served between 3,500 and 4,000 people per month, but this year the bank has seen on average about 4,700 per month.
In November, that number shot up to 4,943, representing 2,304 separate households.
“I’m not sure the reason why,” Kraut said.
Volunteers of America Western Washington runs its main food bank Mondays through Thursdays at 1230 Broadway. It also runs smaller weekly or twice-weekly food banks in south Everett, Mill Creek, Sultan and north Seattle.
The food bank always need donations of basic non-perishable foodstuffs such as canned goods, rice, beans, fruit juice and peanut butter.
This year there’s also an acute need for baby supplies, Kraut said, including diapers, baby wipes and infant formula.
The group also has a fleet of volunteers to pick up fresh meat and produce from area grocery stores.
Katie Prettyman, the organization’s senior director for volunteer engagement, said that VOA always needs people who can work weekly shifts in the food bank.
“Probably the strongest need is volunteer drivers,” Prettyman said.
The VOA also occasionally needs staff for one-time events, such as the upcoming Stuff-a-Bus food and toy drive in Monroe this month. Volunteer turnout for those one-off events is usually pretty good, she said.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
