I read with interest the front page article last week regarding the Mayor offering to shave his head if a fundraiser for Plateau Outreach Ministries reached a certain goal. They did, and he did. While I recognize that POM provides valuable support to our community members, I can’t help but wonder why Enumclaw Food Bank is never on the receiving end of the fundraising efforts or even acknowledgment from the Courier-Herald that it exists. I volunteer three days a week at the Food Bank and see firsthand how many families benefit from it. Last year we provided food to 3,701 families (or 9,986 people) for a total of 291.2 tons of food, including canned goods, dried goods, breads and baked goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy to anyone who is considered low income and lives within the Enumclaw School District.

Our space is not as pretty as POM’s since we don’t have fundraising funds to give it a facelift. We have very little space to work with. We do have walk-in refrigeration and freezer, two smaller freezers and a refrigerator, and The City of Enumclaw owns the building so we are grateful to have a place to provide our services. In addition to Food Bank, our Helping Hands program can provide funds to help with rent, utilities, gas and the like.

Again, POM provides a much needed service to our Community, but so does the Enumclaw Food Bank. We are a 501(c)3 organization, and donations of food or cash are tax deductible. We are associated with Lifeline services in Seattle, and they provide us with much of our weekly and monthly food allotments.

Please take the time to find out what we’re doing at the Enumclaw Food Bank (1350 Cole ST) and share your findings with the community.

Alberta Sinclair, Peggy Sikorski, Sandy Sturgeon, Patty Shepard

Enumclaw Food Bank Volunteers