||| FROM RICK RHOADS for ORCAS FOOD BANK |||
Many of our friends and neighbors are forced to postpone car and house repairs, go without dental or medical care, fill up on relatively inexpensive but unhealthy foods, and/or fall behind on rent or utility bills. They struggle to make ends meet, often despite working one or more jobs.
Some improve their household economies by shopping at the Food Bank — an average of 941 households a month in 2022. Others who could benefit, however, don’t. These are the reasons we most commonly hear for not coming to the Food Bank:
- “I have a job, so I probably don’t qualify.”
- “I’m not a US citizen.”
- “I can’t deal with any more paperwork.”
- “I don’t want to take food away from people who need it more than I do.”
- “I don’t eat that great, but I get by.”
Let’s take these reasons one at a time:
- “I have a job, so I probably don’t qualify.” Here are The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) current income guidelines for Washington State.
To be eligible to receive food from TEFAP, customers need to self-declare that they meet the TEFAP income limits and reside in Washington State. As for the majority of our food, which is not provided by TEFAP, the Orcas Island Food Bank exists as a service to the community and the only qualification for receiving food is that customers have a need for food assistance based on their own judgment. Customers do not need to provide Social Security numbers, identification, or proof of citizenship, immigration status, household size, or income.
- “I’m not a US citizen.”
Doesn’t matter. All Orcas Island residents are welcome. - “I can’t deal with any more paperwork.”
We hear you! We do not require paperwork from our customers. Your verbal registration and verbal updates as your situation changes are all that is needed on your side to help us continue to stock our shelves appropriately.
- “I don’t want to take food away from people who need it more than I do.”
Thank you for thinking of others. If you don’t need bread this week, for example, don’t take it. To minimize waste, we encourage folks to take only what they need. But please let us worry about inventory levels. By accessing food, you help the county and state understand the true need for support. Please don’t hide your nutrition needs — your health matters! We encourage you to focus on eating healthy; we will take care of the rest. - “I don’t eat that great, but I get by.”
Amanda Sparks, the Food Bank’s executive director, responds: “Eating healthy versus eating to fill your stomach are different things. Adequate nutrition supports good mental and physical health; eating poorly to quench hunger can contribute to serious, lasting health problems, including obesity, tooth decay, high blood pressure, and diabetes, and can increase the risk of
stroke, heart disease, and cancer. Even in the short term, poor nutrition can increase stress and fatigue and decrease our capacity to work and learn. If the food you can afford fits into the category of eating poorly to fill your stomach, please consider visiting the Food Bank. Eating poorly is not healthy or cost-effective long-term. I know; I’ve been there.”
If you could benefit from the Food Bank, please stop by. You’ll get a warm welcome. If you know someone who might benefit, please show them this article.
Hours of food distribution: Monday 3:00 to 6:30, Tuesday and Friday, noon to 6:30
www.orcasislandfoodbank.org • (360) 376-4445
116 Madrona Street (PO Box 424), Eastsound, WA 98245
OIFB is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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The Orcas Island Food Bank is one of the most valuable, compassionate, community-supportive organizations we have on the island. I suspect there are reasons for not going to the Food Bank which are not commonly expressed, for instance — I feel ashamed to be in need and accept charity. We are happy to say “it takes an island to raise a child.” At the same time, it can be difficult to say, “it takes an island to support me when I am in need.”
In the US we are taught to value the self-sufficient, rugged individual. The reality is that we all need help of some form at some point in our lives. If only we could embrace our role when receiving help as much as we embrace the ability to give it. In a full life we can expect to be on both sides of that equation.
Orcas Island Food Bank is a wonderful asset for all of our community. I was a Tuesday volunteer for about six years along with others I became friends with. When COVID hit those of us over 65 were told that it was probably not healthy for us to be there. We understood! I totally enjoyed spending four hours every Tuesday stocking shelves; taking cardboard across the street to Island Market to recycle and then on the same cart bringing back frozen food to pass out that day. One thing I really miss is lunch in the basement of the Community Church next to the FB where we all sat down together and ate. Lastly what I want to say is that we accepted all who came, NQA. ☮️
What Jeff said!
Amanda also makes an extremely important point – that empty calories are not the same as actual nutrition; a fact that seems to be dismissed as not profitable by global agri-business/industrial food corporations! A surprising amount of the fresh produce at the Food Bank comes from local gardens and growers, many of whom “plant a row for the Food Bank”.
I don’t know if you have different rules on Orcus, but here in McCleary, we are following state guidelines. NO ONE is turned away. They do not have to prove anything. We don’t ask about income. We ask for an address and number of people in the family and the age range. Like 0-2, 3-18, 19-54, 55+ . If they are homeless we write that in where the address goes and give them a P38 can opener.
Linda Thompson, we do the same. I’m glad to hear your food bank follows the statewide TEFAP guidelines at registration. In addition to having can openers available for unhoused folks, we also keep nutritious ready-to-eat shelf-stable meals that don’t require heating or a can opener. Customer feedback and product research and testing are essential in determining what items best fit the needs of our customers. Thank you for sharing about your local food bank.
To Steve Jehly and all the rest of the volunteers…I miss you all. We were happy to be replaced but we still miss the Food Bank and you all!