SEQUIM — As need continues to grow at the Sequim Food Bank, organizers aim to expand its offerings.
A crew with C&J Excavating demolished the food bank’s newest addition, a home at 154 W. Alder St., on May 23-24, said facility board member Stephen Rosales.
Officials purchased the home in 2017 for $140,000 using a monetary gift from an anonymous estate with the intent to increase operations, programs and storage, said Andra Smith, executive director of the Sequim Food Bank at 144 W. Alder St.
Rosales said C&J Excavating removed the home and pulled out tree stumps to make room for extra parking for the food bank, which opens three days a week for in-need visitors in the Sequim area.
“Now, we’re going to start planning,” Rosales said. “We’ve formed a strategic planning committee for the future.”
No timeline has been set for future plans, he said, but board members welcome input from the community by calling 360-681-1205 or 360-461-6038.
In November 2017 after the property was purchased, Rosales and Smith said one of the pushes for purchasing the home and property was to expand the weekend meal program that provides food to in-need Sequim School District students year-round.
Organizers said the program has added to the demand and lack of space at the facility, which could lead to a new storage building next door among many other options.
If a new facility was built next door, Smith said in a previous interview, the weekend meal program could move into it along with new storage, food preparation demonstrations and other new programs.
The Sequim Food Bank is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and from 9 a.m. to noon Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information, visit www.sequimfoodbank.org.
