7/03/08

Food Bank seeking help to furnish, equip new facility

With grants and donation pledges in hand to cover most of the construction costs for the Marysville Food Bank’s new facility, staffers are asking for community contributions to help furnish and equip the center.

“Planning and grant-writing for the building began about four years ago,” explained Joyce Zeigen, executive director of the community organization, “and of course, costs have gone up since then. We don’t want to take any money away from our general operation needs to fund the shortfall, so we’re asking for help from the community.”

Zeigen recognizes that this is a tough time to be asking for donations. She sees firsthand the effects of a slowing economy.

“Every distribution day we are seeing up to ten new clients,” she said. “We get daily calls from folks who’ve never been to the food bank before, asking about our services and requirements. The need is growing.”

The need for a new building for the community food bank has also reached a critical stage. The organization currently operates out of a building leased from the Marysville YMCA, and the Y is anxious to regain the space for its own programming.

The food bank, which serves about 500 residents each month, has secured property behind St. Mary’s Catholic Church just off 88th Street in Marysville, and broke ground on the new facility in early May. Zeigen said the organization is hoping to raise $150,000 to $200,000 over the next few months to ensure the project’s completion by November as planned.

“We hope to replace all our individual chest and upright freezers with one big energy-efficient walk-in freezer, which is about a $17,000 expense,” said Zeigen. “Health regulations require us to get all new stainless steel tables, and we need to provide safe shelving and storage facilities.”

Expenses for permits and architectural fees have added about $70,000 to the project cost as well.

“I’m a penny pincher,” Zeigen confessed, “and we make every dollar stretch to its limit and beyond. But we still need help.”

To find out how you can contribute to the Marysville Community Food Bank, visit the organization’s new Web site at www.marysvillecommunityfb.com or phone (360) 658-1054.