Locals invited to town hall on making Lyle Food Pantry mobile

Lyle volunteer inside the pantry back in 2020. File Photo by Haley Mast

From Washington Gorge Action Programs:

By Tammy Kaufman

A new Mobile Food Pantry is expected to begin by this summer in Klickitat and Skamania Counties. Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is looking for community input to best serve rural clients needing food stability.

WAGAP will retain its permanent Food Bank locations in Bingen, Goldendale, Klickitat, and Stevenson and change its Lyle Food Pantry into a mobile operation serving a broader range of rural communities. 

"The benefits are abundant," said Bruce Bolme, President of WAGAP. "This will help reach more people in rural locations. It will be less driving for seniors and give them better access. The fewer miles driven by members of our local communities each month, the better for everyone's safety, and it is also good for the environment," he said.

The idea developed over the past year as WAGAP staff and Board of Directors conducted an annual review of the Lyle Food Pantry, which was started by local volunteers with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lyle community members were worried about students receiving proper nutrition with the first school closures. They banded together to launch the pantry in March of 2020.

As the pandemic months wore on, the founders approached WAGAP Food Bank Network to assist. WAGAP Board members agreed to initially support operations on a trial basis in July 2020. They later reapproved support through the end of the year.

In December 2020, with no end in sight for the pandemic, the Board reapproved funding and resources once again for the fiscal year 2021. Each time the Board reviewed the services provided, the cost, resources used, the number of staff and volunteers needed, and the outreach completed.

"At this point, usage of the Lyle Food Pantry has declined. Since 2020 families have adjusted to our Food Bank Network system. Many people have opted to pick up their food boxes at our other locations," said Janeal Booren, director of the WAGAP Food Bank Network. 

WAGAP Exec. Dir. Leslie Naramore

"We appreciate all that the Lyle volunteers have done and absolutely recognize the need to serve Lyle community members," said Leslie Naramore, WAGAP Executive Director. "We also see an opportunity to expand service to other locations such as Dallesport, Wishram, Trout Lake, and perhaps at In Lieu sites to serve our Native communities. A Mobile Food Pantry will allow us to do this."

Naramore invites all Klickitat and Skamania Counties community members to participate in a survey. This will help WAGAP define what areas it should focus on for the Mobile Food Pantry services. The survey is available at all Food Bank locations, online at wagap.org, or directly in English at https://forms.gle/k9sXze57xTnpLCQ16 and Spanish at: https://forms.gle/CQ9iMzASi3fr6QwVA. Surveys will be open until March 31, 2022.

A community discussion will be held on Wednesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lyle Activity Center to receive input and suggestions in person. "We encourage everyone to participate in this survey and forum, as food stability is an important issue to all communities," Naramore said. "We especially want to hear from people who currently receive these services and from those who might use the services if they were more locally available to them."

The WAGAP Food Bank Network allows individuals and families in need to receive supplemental food supplies once per month at any of the WAGAP locations. When the Mobile Food Pantry hits the road this summer, clients will still have the ability to stop by any of the Food Bank locations or choose to use the Mobile option. 

Funding for this new mobile service will be coming from the Washington State Department of Agriculture through a Flexible Funding grant. WAGAP purchased a refrigerated truck at the beginning of the pandemic and will be able to retrofit it with this funding. The majority of the work would occur at its warehouse in Bingen, with two staff members needed for delivery days.

For more information on Food Banks and Nutrition programs, contact Janeal Booren at 509-493-2662 extension 208, call toll-free at 800-755-1192, or email janeal@wagap.org.