Helping Hands reach out to help meet neighbors' needs

Food security remains a concern locally, so organizations and volunteers are expanding their efforts to meet the need. Helping Hands at Swinomish is one such enterprise. It received 850 visits in 2023 after starting in late 2022.

On Thursday afternoons, a white Helping Hands Food Bank truck from the Sedro-Woolley distribution center backs up to the Inspire Church across from Fire District 13 and unloads pallets of food and household items, including bread, meat, pasta and fresh vegetables, fruits, laundry soap and diapers. Most is salvaged from grocery store rescues, but local produce is sometimes available. This shipment supports 35 to 40 households.

The weekly delivery varies, but its quality is high, and the need persists.

When Helping Hands started distributing food at the church in October 2022, its goal was to make access easier for people to get the food they needed. Helping Hands Food Bank CEO Rebecca Skrinde said it was a “natural thing” to open a site there. Helping Hands already cooperated with Fire District 13 and distributed at two other Inspire churches in the valley.

“It’s such an amazing way to bring all the cultures together feeding people,” said Skrinde.

Inspire Church Pastor Doug York noted that the decision to open this location was deliberate. “We don’t want another food bank just to be doing food banks,” he said. Helping Hands at Swinomish complements the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank and programs of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

“The need is large enough that food banks on both sides of the channel help take care of people on both sides of the channel,” said York, who volunteers and makes sure the facility is available and ready every week. He and his wife Kay deliver food to community members who do not have access to transportation.

Recently, York learned that people living in their RVs cannot easily make it to the church. He is trying to figure out a solution to serve that group.

Helping Hands volunteers said the Swinomish community is especially grateful. One recent day a recipient of food broke into tears. “We were wowed by it,” said William Berdine of Sedro-Woolley, who has been volunteering with Helping Hands for a couple years.

Jonathan Phipps of Burlington, a warehouse assistant with Helping Hands agreed, while unloading boxes of vegetables. “This food is really impacting them,” he said. “Going without food should not be a thing.”

Skrinde told of a senior who recently learned of the food bank. He said it was the first food he had eaten in three days. Helping Hands assists food bank clients sign up for other benefits. But there are no requirements and no waiting for benefits at the food bank, said Skrinde.

Phipps would “love to see more people coming in.” The food is wasted if people do not pick it up, so he encourages community members in need to not be afraid and to come to the food bank. “Fill that hole with what you need,” he said.

Phipps volunteered at Helping Hands for months before getting hired on the staff. He has been making the deliveries to Swinomish for about a month. “It makes me feel good,” Phipps said of his work. “I absolutely love it. I look forward to it every single day.”

Helping Hands Food Bank received a $500,000 two-year grant from the Washington Department of Agriculture through its We Feed WA pilot food program. It supports purchasing from local farmers, some of it through the Puget Sound Food Hub.

“It’s a really exciting program,” said Skrinde. “We want to show that we are a valuable market for farmers and food producers.” She hopes to continue those relationships.

Food banks are efficient at leveraging their resources. For every dollar they spend, Skrinde said, they obtain about 25 pounds of food, or enough for seven or eight meals. Last year, Healing Hands distributed 3.4 million pounds of food through its several county locations.

Volunteers are always welcome. Call Helping Hands if you are interested:

360-856-2211.