Governor Jay Inslee stated during his April 2nd press conference that 140 Washington National Guardsmen would be deployed to assist local food banks in King, Pierce, Franklin, Chelan and Walla Walla counties during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Inslee said the National Guard is NOT being deployed to enforce the stay home order, but to assist food banks with with important distribution to those in need.
According to the City of North Bend, many food banks are staffed with volunteers that fall into the at-risk category for complications from COVID-19 – so the National Guard assistance will allow at-risk volunteers to stay at home.
“We have temporarily lost a good deal of our regular volunteers because they fall into the ‘vulnerable’ category due to age, health, or the need to care for a loved one,” said Nikki Lloyd, Executive Director for Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank. “While we have seen an increase in new volunteers, we desperately miss seeing those faces.”
Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank at 122 East 3rd Street in North Bend is one of the food banks that will receive National Guard assistance, helping with packing bags and boxes of food, unloading our truck, and delivering bags and boxes to cars on distribution day.
“The National Guard supports our entire country and they know what important pillars food banks are to their communities They have been sent as a support to make sure that we continue to be able to be that pillar to our neighbors in the Snoqualmie Valley,” Lloyd added. “They are going to be fantastic and helpful and I am very grateful for their support.”
Troops will be at the Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank on Tuesdays from noon – 4PM and Wednesdays from 8AM – 6PM throughout April.
The food bank is open Mondays, for Seniors only (65+) from 9:30 -11AM, and open to all from 11AM – 12:30PM, Tuesdays from noon – 4PM and Wednesdays from 9:30 – 6:30PM.
Food distribution utilizing using a “grab and go” model where people to get their food with pre-filled bags/boxes of food consisting of both shelf stable and fresh foods for meals for a week.
