Celebrating the expansion of Southeast FISH

Pastor Peter reads the story of the loaves and fishes at the celebration

"We destroyed a perfectly good house . . . what were we thinking?" asked Pastor Peter Mohr of the volunteers, board and staff gathered at Southeast FISH yesterday.

The occasion was a celebration to mark the completion of a 1,000 sq. ft. addition to the food bank, providing badly needed food storage. In blessing the new space, Pastor Peter told the story of the house that now houses the food bank on his congregation's property. He spoke of all the other ways the space could have been used, and concluded, "Now it's only good for one thing . . . but that one thing is close to the heart of God."

New expansion at Southeast

It was only three years ago that we added 2,500 square feet of space to Southeast FISH. At that time this food bank was serving about 8,000 people each month. We couldn’t have foreseen then that the economy would take such a severe downturn and that we would outgrow that added space so quickly.

FISH director Beth Elliott with Jeff May (l)
and Jeff Stroud of Mountain Construction

Today Southeast FISH serves about 15,000 people each month. With such a dramatic increase in need, we had to find a way to maximize our available space, and so here we are celebrating the addition of another 1,000 square feet for food storage.

FISH executive director Beth Elliott and board president Dee Ebsen thanked the Thompson Foundation, which funded the expansion with a generous grant of $62,643, and Mountain Construction, which donated the framing labor, valued at $13,550. 

Volunteer coordinator Phil Membrere thanked the gathered volunteers, many of whom have been working at Southeast FISH for many years. Before this addition was started, volunteers were forced to move pallets of food outside every day just to make room in the food bank for serving clients and restocking shelves. At the end of the day they would move the pallets back inside. In inclement weather the pallets were covered with plastic tarps for protection. It was  inefficient and hazardous. Phil thanked the volunteers for their amazing dedication and patience throughout the construction process.

The state budget affects you - learn how to make your voice heard!

We're excited to be working with our friends at Washington Community Action Network (Washington CAN) to offer a series of community conversations on state budget cuts and how they can affect you. What happens in Olympia matters to you; please join us to learn how you can make your voice heard in Olympia. Our first community conversation will be held next Wednesday, June 22 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Lutheran Church of Christ the King, 1704 East 85th (next to Southeast FISH). Map

Download a flyer here.

We're growing again at Southeast!

Just three years after completing a large expansion, our Southeast FISH Food Bank is expanding again. When we completed the 2,500 sq. ft. expansion in 2008, Southeast was serving approximately 8,000 people each month. In these days of a bad economy and high unemployment, Southeast is now serving more than 14,000 people each month and has outgrown its space.

Up to now volunteers have had to move 20 to 40 pallets of food outside the food bank every day to make room for serving clients and restocking shelves. At the end of the day they move the pallets back inside. During bad weather the pallets have been covered with plastic tarps for protection, often a challenge on windy and rainy days. 

Construction began May 2 on another expansion that will add 1,000 sq. ft. to the food bank. The added space will house 40 pallets of food that currently sit outside during the day and provide space for 20 additional pallets. It will make remove a safety hazard for our volunteers and staff and at the same time allow us to serve clients more efficiently.

Added space will allow pallets to be stored inside.

We are so grateful to our friends at Mountain Construction, who are donating a significant portion of the labor to make this project happen.They've made great progress over the past month, and expect to be finished by mid- to late June.

Looking good and making great progress!

Coming to the end of a busy summer

It's been a very busy summer, with all of our food banks seeing increased need. This past July was up 51% over July 2008!

An exciting new development is our partnership with Rotacare of Tacoma, who will open a chronic health clinic at Southeast FISH within the next few weeks. Read all about it in Kathleen Merryman's TNT column.

Thanks to DSHS staff

Vicky McLaurin, FISH board member and Community Relations Manager for DSHS CSD Region 5, reports that the staff of the Pierce South CSO raised $269.98 in a Penny Drive to benefit Southeast FISH. CSO staff were responding to the news that Southeast FISH served 13,117 individuals in April, a 57% increase over the same time last year.

We can provide $4 worth of food for every dollar donated, so the generous folks at Pierce South CSO have provided nearly $1100 worth of food. Thanks so much to all those who participated, to Maren Yeager for organizing the Penny Drive, and to Vicky for letting us know about it!