EVERETT — Roxana Boroujerdi helped Deb Ham select a pair of pants for herself and some new blue shirts for her 11-year-old daughter.
“You know where we are if they don’t fit,” Boroujerdi said. “No refunds, just exchanges.”
The last bit won her a couple of laughs from people in the small food and clothing bank next to Faith Lutheran Church at 6708 Cady Road. A refund here would be pointless. The food and clothes are free to anyone in need.
Exchanges, on the other hand, are the heartbeat of the new program, started by the church in October.
Single mothers strapped for cash or grandparents raising a grandchild on a fixed income stop by to pick up toddler-sized clothes.
They leave behind the baby outfits and toys their kids have outgrown in case the next parent or grandparent could make use of them.
One woman found a dress shirt and left behind a bag of stuffed animals. A man who recently got out of prison picked out sturdy work pants to wear to his new job.
Several of the volunteers who help around the food and clothing bank also are patrons of the program, sorting and hanging up donated clothes before selecting food to take home for dinner.
The food and clothing bank grew out of Faith Lutheran Church’s free community meals, which take place from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays.
“We had a lot of people who said they love coming to the meal but unfortunately they didn’t have any food at home,” Boroujerdi said.
The bank is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Boroujerdi runs things with the help of six regular volunteers and about 10 other occasional helpers.
“I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Ham said. “This woman’s one in a million.”
Ham homeschools her daughter, Lauryn, and the two started going to the community dinners as a way to socialize and eat a nice meal. Now the food and clothing bank is a regular stop.
Last week, they were looking for a dressy blue shirt for Lauryn because her grandparents, who live out of state, asked them to send a photo of her wearing blue for a scrapbooking project they’re working on.
“It’s a wide assortment and it’s kind of on the honesty program,” Ham said. “Here, she says, ‘Take what you need.’ And so far she hasn’t had to change that policy.”
Many food banks require proof of income, address and number of people per household, she said. At Faith Lutheran, folks jot down their first name and the number of people in their family in a notebook. That’s all the information they’re asked to give. It lets volunteers keep track of how many people they serve. On a typical weekday, it’s somewhere around 165 people, according to the notebook.
Donations of diapers, baby clothes and personal hygiene supplies always are needed, Boroujerdi said, as are new sheet sets and pillows. Pop-top canned food is in demand for people who don’t have kitchens or can openers.
Donations can be dropped off at the church or the food and clothing bank during open hours. Boroujerdi also picks up food donations from the Lynnwood Fred Meyer and Mountlake Terrace QFC.
“Our food bank seems to be mainly single working mothers,” she said. “I’m realizing now that moms can work and still not make enough for rent, bills and food, especially if they have to buy diapers and baby supplies.”
Volunteer Lea Payne attends a different church down the street but started helping out at Faith Lutheran after she stopped by to get food. She helps sort and set up the food and clothes.
The people she talks to at the bank are mostly working poor, she said. They have jobs but struggle to keep up with their bills. The no-questions-asked policy at Faith Lutheran makes it easy for them to get help.
She hopes everyone continues to be honest, taking only what they need and giving back when they can, so that the trust-based system doesn’t have to change.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Here’s how
For more information on how to help or get help, call Boroujerdi at 425-971-0402.
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