Thanks to the generosity of North Olympic Peninsula residents, food banks were well-stocked for the holiday season.
That’s a big deal, volunteers say, because the bad economy has driven up demand — demand that isn’t likely to decrease after the holidays.
“Demand was high, but support was high, too,” said Sequim Food Bank Interim Director Stephen Rosales.
The Sequim Food Bank distributed 750 turkeys with side dishes Thanksgiving and another 750 turkeys Christmas.
“We were real blessed,” Rosales said. “I’ve never seen this much giving. People really rose to the occasion this year.
“Sequim is a very giving community.”
But now, Rosales said, food banks everywhere are entering a dry spell for donations.
“Between now and June, it trickles in,” he said.
Port Angeles Food Bank Executive Director Josie Gilbeck was short-staffed Christmas Eve, so she rounded up her husband, a neighbor and some friends to distribute turkeys.
“It was worth being open,” said Gilbeck, who started her Christmas shopping later that day.
“Sixty birds were gone within an hour and a half.”
The food bank has become a multipurpose agency.
The Department of Social and Health Services, Healthy Families of Clallam County, Serenity House of Clallam County, the Salvation Army and other groups have been coordinating with the Port Angeles Food Bank to serve more clients with less resources.
“We’ve kind of branched out,” said Gilbeck, who just finished her third holiday season at the food bank.
“We’re seeing a whole different group of faces.”
The Port Angeles Food Bank has become a central drop zone that buys in bulk and distributes hygiene products, blankets, diapers and pet food in addition to people food.
Pet food is an absolute necessity, Gilbeck said, because some clients would rather live in their cars or skip meals themselves before they let a furry companion go hungry.
In Forks, food bank Treasurer Mary Ulin said 220 holiday baskets went fast.
“We had more people this year,” she said.
That same demand was seen in Sequim.
The Sequim Food Bank passes out about 250 boxes of food per week. That number was about 100 before the economic downturn, Rosales said.
“It’s a dramatic increase, and we haven’t seen it level out yet,” he said.
In addition to the growing demand, Rosales has noticed more and more young people who have lost their jobs coming to the food bank.
The all-volunteer Sequim Food Bank gets food from food drives at the fire department, churches, schools, grocery stores and the Boy Scouts. It also received two generous financial donations this Christmas season, Rosales said.
“People are incredibly generous this time of year,” said Port Townsend Food Bank Assistant Manager Shirley Moss.
“We’re really stocked right now. Later in the year, people tend to forget about us.”
At the Port Townsend Food Bank — by far the largest in Jefferson County — demand has nearly doubled in the last five years.
Moss said the food bank gets 220 to 230 client families per week. A client family can be a single person or an extended family of up to 11.
The Jefferson County Food Bank Association includes the food banks in Port Townsend, Chimacum, Quilcene, Brinnon and Coyle.
Moss said her peers at the other food banks are “absolutely” seeing more demand.
“It keeps growing year after year,” Moss said.
“We’re seeing steady growth from week to week.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
