Jefferson County Food Bank volunteers are our greatest asset. Creating and maintaining a safe work environment for the volunteers is the job of the executive director, who is in turn overseen and reviewed by the Food Bank board. Volunteers should be able to express concerns, complaints, suggestions. etc. safely without fear of retribution. Many volunteers are not comfortable with confrontation so rather than filing a complaint, they just leave. Most boards do a review of their executive director both by the board but also with the help of the volunteers who work most closely with and are the most affected by the executive directors actions both good and bad.

It is time for the board to be brave and seriously evaluate what is best for the community and determine if the direction that they are taking is in keeping with the mission statement of the Jefferson County Food Bank association.

If there is nothing to hide, then have an open meeting like we have had in the past to address the concerns of the volunteers and the community. Let the volunteers know that we are nothing without them.

Evaluate the executive director’s job performance. What is the status of the Quilcene Food Bank Construction, what grants have been applied for and what is the status? What campaign funding has occurred? What is the status of donations now versus prior to hiring of the executive director? This is an important paid position.

But, with respect, it’s harder to find wonderful volunteers than it is to hire. I am respectfully asking the board to back up, find our common goals, review the mission statement and work towards inclusion of the volunteers for solutions. If we focus on common goals we can forgo the ego and make it.

We-Go!

Keith Meyer

Quilcene