By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The Rainier Valley Food Bank (RVFB), Seattle’s busiest food bank, announced that is has acquired a new building in the Rainier Beach area to better serve the growing demands of communities impacted by COVID-19.
The new home, which was previously owned and operated by local funeral services provider Bonney Watson as its Southwest Mortuary location, is located near the corner of Rainier Avenue S. and S. Henderson Street and has a long history of serving the community. A history that Gloria Hatcher-Mays, Executive Director of Rainier Valley Food Bank, seeks to both honor and revitalize by re-purposing the space.
“The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating,” says Hatcher-Mays. “As a result, our service area expanded and our demographic became more diverse. Our humble 1200 square foot facility – the same we’ve been in for the past 25 years – limited our ability to fully serve those in need.”
“A new community space has been our dream that is finally becoming a reality. We are deeply grateful to those who have helped us secure a new site deep in the heart of the Rainier Valley,” added Hatcher-Mays.
According to RVFB, over the course of the next 18 – 24 months the space will be transformed into the new home of the Rainier Valley Food Bank. In addition to housing the food bank, the facility will feature a new outlet clothing store, a job training and placement center, a large commercial-grade kitchen for culinary training and an outdoor garden for growing food, and a space to host community events.
Cameron Smock, President and CEO of Bonney Watson, says that he is glad that the building will continue to serve the needs of the people of South Seattle.
“We appreciate the opportunity to transfer our property to a trusted community partner that has passionately served our region, especially during the past year,” said Smock. “We are grateful that our space, which has offered comfort and support to the people of the Rainier Valley community for over thirty years, will remain in service to the community.”
Due to COVID, RVFB programs like their in-person shopping had to end to ensure the safety of customers and staff as the organization shifted to alternative distribution methods. To meet this increased demand, the community stepped up and increased volunteer support by 166% which included over 500 new volunteers.
As the pandemic introduced new challenges, RVFB again had to adapt for its programs to meet the community’s needs. Today, the food bank serves more than 11,000 individuals and over 1 million meals annually.
As a result, To-Go Food Bags increased from 300 to about 600 per week and home deliveries grew from 200 to 1,000 a week. Volunteers helped expand their Backpack Program, which involves teachers and community volunteers personally packing and delivering bags of nutritious food to more than 1,600 at-risk students attending 14 different South Seattle schools.
Washington State Sen. Rebecca Saldana of the 37th District is excited about the impact the Rainier Valley Food Bank has had on families during the pandemic and the impact the new facility will have on the area as well as its history of serving the community.
“The Rainier Valley Food Bank has served this community for so long, and incredibly rose to the challenge when demand for food grew exponentially due to the pandemic,” said Saldaña. “I am thankful for its service to the community, and I’m excited to see how the staff and volunteers can have even more positive impact now that they have a building of their own in the heart of Rainier Beach.”
RVFB opened its doors in Seattle’s Rainier Valley neighborhood in 1991, and has been providing services to the South Seattle, Rainier Valley community ever since. Founded as Northwest Community Services, the organization changed its name to the Rainier Valley Food Bank in 2008.
According to supporters, RVFB is a prime example of how the community can come together under one roof to make a difference.
“Rainier Valley is by and for the community,” says Hatcher-Mays. “Folks come to volunteer and stay and are a part of our community. We built a community of clients and team members that all work together on the well-being of the folks that interact with our services. “
“We have a really robust group of volunteers who show up and make the dream work,” she continued. “All of my staff members have grown up in this community, they understand, they relate to the people they are dealing with because they are neighbors.”
Community service is the glue that binds members of a community especially during times of crisis. The Rainier Valley Food Bank is doing important work by addressing the need of the citizens.
“I want the community to know how committed we are to doing more once we move into this space to serve our community that we love,” says Hatcher-Mays. “It really is all about community for us.”