Beginning July 1, the Tri-Area Food Bank will be offering walk-in service to its clients, a service that has been unavailable since the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020.
Since 2020, the Port …
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Beginning July 1, the Tri-Area Food Bank will be offering walk-in service to its clients, a service that has been unavailable since the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020.
Since 2020, the Port Hadlock-based food bank has been operating as a drive-through pantry with limited opportunity for clients to choose the foods they want, according to Patricia Hennessy, the Jefferson County Food Bank Association (JCFBA) executive director. The walk-in format will provide patrons with a grocery shopping experience with volunteer assistance. The food banks in Port Townsend and Quilcene currently offer a similar format. Plans are also underway to expand accessibility to all food banks through pre-order and pick-up services.
In addition to enhancing the patron’s experience at the Tri-Area Food Bank, Hennessey said the JCFBA is increasing its warehousing capacity and taking over distribution from OlyCAP.
Hennessey said JCFBA has been relying on warehousing and distribution services through OlyCAP for many years but has prepared to take over these functions.
OlyCAP recently shuttered its pantry operations and will end its food warehousing and distribution services sometime this fall, having terminated two key contracts with the Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA), according to Hennessy.
In the coming weeks, crews will install additional refrigeration and freezers, back-up generators, and a loading dock at the Tri-Area location to allow for larger trucks to deliver directly to the distribution warehouse on the site.
Hennessy said these changes will bolster the association’s warehousing capacities while helping it meet the growing demand for food bank services and ensuring continuity of distribution across its network of locations in Brinnon, Quilcene, Port Townsend and the mobile pantry in Coyle.
“Our four food banks are a part of critical infrastructure, not just for those who come to us for assistance, but for the community as a whole,” Hennessey said. “These investments strengthen our position as a community partner in addressing food security and help us become more self-sufficient and nimbler.”
The JCFBA currently serves more than 3,300 households per month, which is approximately 20% of the population in Jefferson County. This represents a 23% increase in services over the last year, according to Hennessey.
