MAPLE FALLS, Wash. — Foothills Community Food Partnership, with the Foothills Food Bank, hosted the unveiling of the new Foothills Food Bank building yesterday, July 16th.
The Foothills Food Bank has been operating out of the new building at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center, located at 8251 Kendall Road in Maple Falls, since March of 2020 according to Food Bank Board President Cheryl Thompson. But, due to restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were unable to be open to the public as soon as they had hoped. They provided pick up and delivery services out of the space while waiting until they could provide walk-in service.
The Food Bank will begin serving the public with walk-in hours 2 days a week beginning at a yet-to-be-announced date in August, Thompson said. She said the goals are to have more Food Bank resources and make them more accessible to those who need them.
Thompson said the Foothills Food Bank began years ago in a 600-square-feet space in Saint Peter Catholic Church in Deming. The new building provides over 10,000-square-feet and recently received grants were used to acquire a fork lift, panel truck and walk-in coolers. “We had limited refrigerator and freezer space in the church. Now we have walk-ins,” Thompson told Whatcom News.
The East Whatcom Regional Resource Center houses Opportunity Council programs including Head Start preschool and and basic needs resources. Whatcom County owns the property.