Lines grow longer at western WA food banks
Lines continue to grow at food banks across western Washington, where people out of pay and out of a job spent more than two hours waiting for food in Tacoma.
TACOMA, Wash. – As lawmakers in Washington, D.C. continue to debate federal funding, the impact is being felt thousands of miles away in Tacoma, where families are waiting hours for food at one of the region’s busiest food banks.
At Eloise’s Cooking Pot, the line now stretches around the corner, down the street, and in front of nearby homes — a sign, organizers say, that it’s going to be a long day. Staff members told FOX 13 that before the government shutdown, operations typically wrapped up between 2 and 4 p.m. Now, volunteers are often still serving families past 6 p.m.
They say when one person walks out the door with groceries in hand, five more step in line to take their place. Some shared with FOX 13 they waited more than two hours for food, often collecting bags not just for themselves but for friends and family as well.
What they’re saying:
Ahndrea Blue, CEO and president of the Making a Difference Foundation, which runs the food bank, has experienced her workload double, if not triple over the last few weeks.
“Resources are already thin,” she shared. “Very, very thin.”
According to Blue, the foundation has pulled from all available food and funding reserves and is trying to get more supplies shipped in.
“But there’s a delay,” she said. “Most food won’t arrive until December or January. So now there’s a bottleneck in receiving food.”
Tacoma Dome mobile food bank paused for first time in two years
Just last week, as many as 900 families show up at the Tacoma Dome for the Making a Difference Foundation’s mobile food bank event — so many cars lined up that they spilled onto the I-5 off-ramp. But for the first time in two years, that mobile distribution didn’t happen this week
According to Blue, Wednesday was the first time in two years they did not hold a mobile food bank there.
“The staff is pretty burnt out,” she said. “We’re just trying to make sure for the long haul that we’re still able to meet people where they’re at.”
Blue added that while SNAP benefits have been released to clients, “people are still pretty worried.”
Delivering food directly to homes
To ease demand and reduce long lines, the foundation has launched a home delivery program. Residents can now go to the organization’s website to request a one-time emergency food delivery, and within 72 hours, a package of food will arrive at their door.
The goal is to eliminate the long lines at the Tacoma Dome and meet people and decrease barriers to access.
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