Correction: The Courier-Herald misreported that the local nonprofit Plateau Outreach Ministries received $45,000 in grant funds. POM actually only got $30,000. The error stems from a misreading of a county press release. Additionally, the Courier-Herald reported that POM “brought in” a record of $1.4 million in donations, but that also includes in-kind and volunteer hours, both of which are given monetary values for reporting purposes. The online article has been updated.
King County will be granting Plateau Outreach Ministries $30,000 in additional funding, courtesy of county Councilmember Reagan Dunn.
Dunn announced the grant, which totals $105,000 and is being divvied up to POM, the Maple Valley Food Bank, the Covington Storehouse, and the Issaquah Community Food Bank, on Dec. 5. POM specifically received $20,000 for its food bank operations and another $10,000 for its financial assistance programs.
“Sadly, food banks everywhere are struggling to keep up with the sharp increase in the number of hungry people who need help putting food on the table,” Dunn said in a press release. “One food bank in my district reported that the number of households they serve is on track to double from 2020. As COVID-era food security aid ends and the need in the community remains high, this additional aid from King County will go far to feed hungry people.”
The local nonprofit has also seen a spike in the number of people it is serving in the last few years.
According to its annual reports, the number of households that used POM’s foodbank services increased from more than 3,700 in 2021 to more than 5,300 last year — or, an increase from more than 10,600 individuals to 16,000.
These numbers don’t include the additional 2,100 households, or 5,500 individuals, that utilized the Enumclaw Food Bank, which POM assimilated last year, between April and December 2022.
The number of clients has jumped again to nearly 6,600 total households by the end of 2023’s third quarter, which means the total number at the end of the year will likely increase by at least another thousand households.
At the same time, POM has increased its food donations, from more than 151,000 pounds in 2021 to more than 166,000 pounds in 2022.
By quarter three of this year, nearly 268,000 pounds of food has been distributed.
“POM is very grateful to work with Council member Reagan Dunn and his staff on advocating for residents in the 9th district, fight food insecurity and to help keep residents in their homes,” said Executive Director Elisha Smith-Marshall.
POM isn’t just a food bank — it also helps locals with financial assistance for rent and utilities.
In 2021, close to 1,200 families received some sort of financial assistance to the tune of $306,000 total.
In 2022, that increased to more than 2,100 families and close to $417,500 in total financial assistance.
And by quarter three of this year, 1,537 families received a total of $302,000 in financial aid.
Financially, POM seems to be looking good.
In 2022, the nonprofit brought in a record $1.4 million (which not only includes monetary donations, but in-kind donations and volunteer hours); at the same time, expenses (95% of which are used for its various programs) also set a record of $1.36 million. This year’s numbers were not provided to the Courier-Herald, but Smith-Marshall said that donations and grants have not fallen from last year’s total.
