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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
August 4, 2011     Shelton Mason County Journal
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August 4, 2011
 
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Mom lives in the big city, but the senior communities are all high-rises and the city is so noisy. She needs good medical services, but driving through traffic to her appointments takes a lot of time. What should we do? Food banks Continued from page A-1 as reported by federal ana- lysts last week, and unem- ployment remains stub- bornly high, families in Mason County Continue to struggle to make ends meet. The number of people receiving help from food banks is intensifying lo- cally, and more community groups, from North Mason to the Agate area, are rising to meet the growing need. At the same time, howev- er, some of those same food distributors are compet- ing amongst themselves to give out food -- with some arguing that there isn't enough money in the pot to go around and others advo- cating for a better way to spread resources. In the last few months Saint's Pantry has seen an even higher increase in de- mand, going from 140 cus- tomers each day to 170 or more. While demand has in- creased almost exponen- tially, the food bank has survived on donations from the community and organi- zations like Northwest Har- vest, which uses state mon- ey to supply food to three local food banks. Food banks also receive assistance in the form of the federally funded TEFAP (The Emergency Food As- sistance Program) and the state-run EFAP (Emer- gency Food Assistance Pro- gram), which both provide food banks with money to make purchases and cover expenses. In Mason County, the only recipients of EFAP monies are the four ma- jor food banks -- Saint's Pantry in Shelton, North Mason Food Bank, Hood Canal Food Bank and Mat- lock Food Bank -- who as a whole determine how the money is split between them. In Matlock, most of the food bank clients are the el- derly or disabled, for whom Sodai Security is no-longer enough to. pay tim, grocery and gas-bills, said Matlock Food Bank Director Ern Brown. "It's a pretty poor area with a lot of disabled people and senior citizens," he said. Between 60 and 90 fami- lies go to the Matieck Food Bank every week, up from 45 or ,50 before the reces- sion. The food bank receives community donations on top of state and federal dona- tions, including the govern- ment commodities program. "They give us canned goods, like canned corn, peas, green beans, canned fruit, a lot of different kinds of juices, counter storage milk," he said. "That's dif- ferent than the regular food bank." Another organization, Cove City Outreach, han- dles TEFAP donations in Shelton. TEFAP recipients have to qualify for the program through income restrictions. Hood Canal Food Bank receives steady donations and long-standing commu- nity support. The food bank serves be- tween 450 to 500 people per month, slightly higher than this time last year. Executive Director Kathy Roberson, who is the only salaried employee at the bank, receives about $1,000 per month. In the last year, the amount of volunteers at the Hood Canal Food Bank has increased to meet the grow- ing need -- about 63 volun- teers organize the bank. "We've gotten about 15 more volunteers," Roberson said. "We've got more people coming in for services, too." To cope with the increas- ing food demands in Mason County, small, independent food banks are cropping up all over, including the Pio- neer Food Bank, started by former AmeriCorps worker Tara Rigby. On May 20, the Pioneer Food Bank's most success- ful distribution day since it opened early this year, 18 families totaling 95 people showed up. "That whole area, which includes Shorecrest, Tim- berlakes, Lake Limer- ick, Harstine Island up to Grapeview, we're isolated geographically from all the services here in Shelton by at least 20 minutes," Rigby said. "If you're out on the south end of the island it's 35 minutes." Sam Lachle and his granddaughter Madison Downey were among both the recipients and volun- teers on Pioneer's most re- cent distribution day, July 21.~ .... : ..... .,.,,"I've never be~n: big on volunteering .... aver the yemrs you realize there is a need," he said. "I figured I was taking some, so I'd help some." The Pioneer Food Bank may be small now, but the food bank plans to apply for help from Northwest Harvest and TEFAP gov- ernment commodities, and other groups, like Cove City Outreach and the North Mason County Resource Center, have looked into ap- plying for EFAP money. As more food banks emerge and ask for these monies, however, the overall food bank money pie doesn't get bigger, said Brown of the Matlock Food Bank. "There's only a certain amount of money allotted to each county," Brown said. Last April, representa- tives from the four major food banks convened in Shelten for the biennium EFAP application meeting. When other groups in- quired as to how to seek those funds, they were met with staunch resistance. Tom Armstrong, direc- tor of North Mason County Resource -- which has been in operation since the end of April 2010 and offers ser- vices in North Mason, in- cluding food, food vouchers "and a mobile food delivery service -- sought approval from the four food banks to enter the non-profit in the rtthning for EFAP money. Armstrong said the non- profit serves food to about 40 to 50 people each week. "From the very begin- ning, we've been helping people with food," Arm- strong later said. "We ap- preciate everything the food banks are doing, we're just trying to make sure all of the community is taken care of." At the April meeting, a 20-minute long "quick, live- ly and contrary group dis- cussion occurred," according to the meeting minutes put together by the Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason and Thurston (CAC- LMT) counties, which dis- tributes EFAP money in the , area. All four food banks reject- ed the resource center on the grounds that the non: profit provided a "duplica- tion of services" and was not "uniquely significant." Following the decision, CAC-LMT asked the re- source center for informa- tion, like food invoices, proving that it had been in operation as a food bank for at least one year. "[We] tried to determine if the provider met some of the base requirements to be considered a food bank," wrote John Walsh, CEO of CAC-LMT, in an e-mail. "Our research indicated that it did not." According to the state Department of Commerce, which regulates EFAP funding, the definition of a food bank is "an emergency food assistance program that distributes unprepared food without charge to its clients, is open a fixed num- ber of hours and days each week or month, and such hours and days are publicly posted." To meet the criteria for EFAP funding, a food bank must be active for at least one year and be a public agency, tribe or 501(c) 3 non-profit. The resource center ap- pealed the decision to an independent hearings ex- aminer and also asked for state review, but both times the posi.tion taken by the four major food banks was upheld. Other food banks say groups that want to take a share of EFAP funding should work more closely together with the existing food distributors. "There shouldn't be any overlap [of services]," said Roberson of Hood Canal Food Bank. "We really can't get involved in the argu- ment, but there are ways to come in and ask for money without an attitude." The resource center isn't the only group in North Ma- son that has emerged in the last year to offer food sup- port.to local residents-- the North Mason Coalition-of Churches and Community packs food for low-income school children on the week- ends and other groups have started canning and glean- ing projects. Some say the efforts help folks who are unable to reach the North Mason Food Bank, which is open for limited hours. In 2009, less than four percent of the North Mason Food Bank's income went toward food purchases, ac- cording to a 2010 audit re- port conducted by Alfred J. Dubbe in South Colby. Representatives from the North Mason Food Bank de- clined to comment for this story. Northwest Harvest no longer donates food to the North Mason Food Bank but instead has shifted its support to the House of Prayer food bank, located in downtown Belfair. The House of .Prayer Ministries does not receive federal or state monies to supply food. "That's the thing, who determines what is an offi- cial food bank?" Armstrong of North Mason County Re- source asked. "The House of Prayer, they've been there for more than a year." Russell from Saint's Pan- try said an increase in food banks could lead to abuse of the food bank system. "It presents a problem sometimes of getting food to the right people," he said. "We don't want to deny any- body food but we don't want somebody coming here, go- ing to" Matlock and then maybe going up to Hood- sport to triple dip." One volunteer at Saint's Pantry recalled seeing food bank supplies on sale at a yard sale, and Keen said that abusing, assistance is becoming more common in the area. "I hear about people sell- ing their food stamps," Keen said. "It's horrible because there's a lot of people who have a sense of entitlement - this is a gift." Move Mom to Alpine Way, in Shelton, It's located just a couple blocks away from highly rated Mason General Hospital, and several specialized clinics are also nearby. Shdton has wonderful small-town charm, and is friendly in a Norman Rockwell kind of way. You'll be happy with the atmosphere at Alpine Way, too. Our friendly family of residents and helpful, professional staffsure beats the big city crowd. From Music in the Park to Oysterfest, there are wonderful things going on in a beautiful setting near Hood Canal. If you're ready to help Mom find a new home, come and tour Alpine Way. We'd love to treat you to lunch, show you our lovely apartments, and answer all your questions. Call Kathy Burbidge at (360) 426-2600 for a free lunch and tour 900 West Alpine Way Shelton, WA 98584 8 u~ @ RETIREMENT APARTMENTS, ASSISTED LIVING AND ALZHEIMER'S SPECIAL CARE www.encorecommunities.corn S. Peters, DPD 25 + Years Experience C. Ngo, DDS • Restorative care • Crowns, Bridges, Fillings • Extractions • Full & Partial Dentures • Repairs while you wait • Relines • Oral Surgery • Deep Cleaning • Retainers Most Insurances Accepted ST LIC#DN00000036 Monday-Friday 9am-4pm 3100 SE Old Olympic nwy (off Hwy 101 at Aberdeen/McCleary exit) Wekoming New Patients (36{}} 427-17M • : You are cordially invitel! to Garden Courte s Annual Garden Party LUAU! :riday, August 5th 3:00pm - 6:00pro 626 L/||y Rd. NE Olympia, WA 98506 Rubi's Delectible Buffet 1Pun Door Prizes ' Entertainment By: 3:00-=/:00 "The forever Youns Rock and Roll Chorus~ from Senior Services forSouth Sound =/:00-6:00 Entertainment Explosion Wear your Hawaiian Grass Skirts and join in all the fun! Please RSVP by Wed. Aug. 3rd 360-~91-*;~35 Backpacks for Kids Drive 2..or .~ THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE ............... LIFESTYLE CHANGES* in the next 5 years: • 52% of the people interviewed said they will consider each purchase more carefully • 29% said they will be more price conscious when buying clothes or food * 47% say they will stick to a budget--S-- *bigresearch.com 9/09 Can advertising help them with any of this? I 227 West Cota Street - ! !,., ~ .,; --~:,t~:~* • ~., ~ ::" ~ , -- ¥ -- -- I "-¥ "- -- I l ....masoncounty.com Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, August 4, 2011 - Page A-3