Tenino food bank marshals resources as demand triples
The Tenino Food Bank Plus is facing a number of challenges as it strains to serve more than triple the normal number of people each week due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Distribution hours start at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and run about four hours at 224 Sussex Ave. E. Hours at the Bucoda Community Center have been extended from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays. A small fleet of vehicles, including a van on loan from the Thurston County Food Bank, deliver goods to dozens of people each week who are not able to safely pick them up themselves.
Local residents have stepped in to help in any way they can. Some have donated plastic bags, gloves and masks. Others have supplied food or resources to obtain basic items needed for children and families.
More still have donated their time in ways that underscore the situation. Merit Construction, a Lakewood-based general contractor, has agreed to fast-track upgrades to the Tenino facility that include security measures such as gated fencing and a heavy door at the main entrance.
Jody Stoltz, who manages the food bank, became concerned after watching people rush to hoard food and other essential supplies in March when the COVID-19 outbreak took hold in Washington state.
She is worried about the prospect of a rogue actor causing harm to the food bank, someone under extreme levels of stress or who suffers from mental illness driven to attempt a break-in or act in an aggressive manner during normal business hours. Staffing levels are already stretched thin because demand has increased at the same time the available roster of volunteers has diminished.
Stoltz said last week that until the security work is completed, she’s received permission from the Tenino Police Department to call on members of local biker organizations to keep the peace if things get out of hand.
“I reached out to them the minute people were told to stay home,” Stoltz said. “I don’t want vigilantes, I want someone who can handle themselves, just to be there to deter any kinds of shenanigans. Who can de-escalate. I’ve been promised that if the time comes, I’ll have someone ready to sit out at the food bank if it comes to that, but I really, really don’t want it to come down to something like that.”
Many people who regularly give their time to food banks across the country are at a higher risk for severe complications from COVID-19 due to age or disability. Stoltz cut the regular Thursday hours in Tenino to protect her volunteers, but has added some younger volunteers in recent days. Tenino city staff also has made a concerted effort to pitch in during the surge.
“In the past few weeks, we have assisted with staff through our police department and public works,” Tenino Mayor Wayne Fournier said. “We’ve also been providing coordination and advisory support. They are a very efficient organization in a normal situation, so they’ve very aptly been able to adapt to the growing need.”
Stoltz has maintained a strong working relationship with area biker groups such as the Warrior B.E.A.R.S. and the Tenino Motorcycle Drill Team in large part through the annual bike run held each March in honor of Robin Rudy, who was known locally as the “Matriarch of Social Services” prior to her death in 2017.
Merit Construction entered the picture through a friendship between project manager Adam Coleman and Fournier that dates back to their days at Tenino High School. The company is working to obtain supplies for the building upgrades and hopes to start the renovations by the end of the month.
“When things started going south with small businesses and everything was getting shut down, (Principal Contractor Tammy Birklid) said if there are nonprofits that need help getting through it, she wanted us to help them,” Coleman said. “Wayne suggested the food bank. If we can get things going, we hope to have it done as soon as the first part of May.”
The bank is not in danger of running out of food in the near future, Stoltz said, thanks to partnerships with Washington nonprofits Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest. Students at the high school donate vegetables grown on campus. Commercial grocers often donate food; Costco recently delivered some cherry pies. Local residents often chip in as well with gloves, bags and non-perishable items.
Stoltz said she will take every step possible to keep the operation rolling. She has considered taking a sleeping bag down to the bank herself, as the overnight hours are the ones she’s most concerned with.
Whatever it takes to keep Tenino’s less fortunate afloat during the worst of COVID-19.
“I’m just trying to be proactive about things, especially if closures keep happening because of the virus,” Stoltz said. “We’re an emergency food organization, so we’re helping people fill gaps for the week with bread and veggies, and that needs to continue. It’s been a bit of trial and error, but I think we’ve got it down to a pretty fine science for the time being.”