The Bonney Lake Food Bank is in the process of consolidating community distribution by stopping services at the Prairie Ridge Community Center, according to the Bonney Lake Community Resources (BLCR) Board of Directors. The Bonney Lake food bank site will accommodate the change by extending its hours of operation to include five days a week and two evenings.

“Due to economic factors, we had to discontinue distribution at the Prairie Ridge Community Center,” said Steve Bowen, Bonney Lake Food Bank director, in a press release. “It was a difficult decision, but one made after a great deal of thought and planning.”

The decision to discontinue services in Prairie Ridge was determined through comprehensive surveys by the food bank. Prairie Ridge residents will be able to obtain food at the Bonney Lake location.

“We would only make the decision to discontinue our efforts in Prairie Ridge if we knew that it would not be a hardship on the residents there,” said BLCR Board of Directors President Rex Pulfrey. “Our mission is to provide food to community members who are struggling to put food on the table. We can more effectively and efficiently serve the community at large from a centralized location. No one else is providing this level of service.”

The food bank has been distributing food and commodities to residents in need since 2009. It offers a wide variety of food, pet food and personal hygiene items. Over 1,200 families a month are served by the food bank.

BLCR oversees the food bank, community garden and Snack Shack. It’s also responsible for operating the Backpack Program, which supplies healthy meals for students during the summer and weekends.

“When a child doesn’t have enough nourishing food, their health and ability to learn is impacted. With support from our partners, donors and volunteers, BLCR is working very hard to alleviate that problem,” Pulfrey said.

BLCR serves over 1,200 families monthly including the working poor and those who suffer from crises such as domestic violence, unemployment and medical emergencies. Services are offered to clients living in Bonney Lake, Lake Tapps, Sumner, Buckley, South Prairie, Carbanado and Wilkeson. Zip codes served include: 98321, 98323, 98385, 98390, 98391 and 98396.

These programs operate almost exclusively on public donations. For a list of ways to help, please visit the BLCR website.