Food Bank takes down glass shields, puts up open shelves

||| FROM RICK RHOADS for ORCAS ISLAND FOOD BANK |||

Shopping at the Orcas Island Food Bank now feels more like shopping at a grocery store, except of course that all items remain free of charge. Customers will notice two big changes:

• Canned and packaged items are on open shelves. Potatoes, onions, garlic, and fruit continue to be displayed and available for customers to put into their baskets. The baskets too are new, to facilitate customers handpicking (literally) their own items.
• Customers still request the refrigerated and frozen items they want from staff members and volunteers, but the plexiglass shields that separated them — and sometimes made it difficult to hear each other — are gone. At the height of the pandemic, the shields, donated by Chris Brems, made the Food Bank safe — and feel safe — for customers, volunteers, and staff.

Masks are still required for now. The Food Bank’s small staff feeds many and must stay healthy while working in a small space with limited winter air flow.

Customer reaction to the changes has been uniformly positive. Staff and volunteers report hearing comments such as these: “I like how I can take my time shopping and look at the items on the shelves.”

The new, hybrid configuration is a first step. The Food Bank will take the next step toward implementing a full grocery-store model when small shopping carts and additional display units arrive. They are expected in November. A resiliency grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture covered the cost of the new equipment.

Food Bank Executive Director Amanda Sparks said, “I’ve wanted to go in this direction for a long time, as has our board. But funding was devoted to coping with the increase in demand related to the pandemic, supply interruptions, and, more recently, inflation. Fortunately, thanks to the WSDA, we now have grant funding for the equipment.”

Board President Bob Morris added, “We want our neighbors to have a positive, dignified experience when they come to their food
bank. There is no dignity without choice. The new configuration increases choice. Customers can read labels, compare products, and look for new items. Plus, it’s a more efficient use of volunteer and staff time.”

Orcas Island Food Bank
www.orcasislandfoodbank.org  •  (360) 376-4445
116 Madrona Street (PO Box 424), Eastsound, WA 98245
Hours of food distribution: Monday 3:00 to 6:30, Tuesday and Friday, noon to 6:30
OIFB is an equal opportunity provider and employer.