Building remodel will add food bank storage space
Construction workers (from left) Shaun Wachter, Josh Latimer, David McKay and Brian Anderson unload a section of roofing as part of a remodeling project that will increase food storage for Moses Lake Food Bank.
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Food Bank is getting more storage space, at a time when operators say it’s really needed.
Food bank director Peny Archer said donations have increased to the point where the current buildings on Marina Drive are running out of space. So a building on the organization’s property on Grape Drive is being remodeled as secure food storage.
“We are inundated with clients and food,” Archer said.
The project is being entirely funded through a federal grant provided to help organizations with expenses related to the COVID-19 outbreak, Archer said. The estimated project cost is about $330,000.
The building is getting a new metal roof and new metal exterior siding, as well as interior insulation, interior siding and more secure doors. It will accommodate walk-in coolers and refrigerators as well as storage for cans, boxes and bags of non-perishable food.
It’s located on property donated to be the site of a new food bank, and food bank officials are working on funding for that project. The building that’s currently being remodeled was scheduled for upgrades after the new facility was built, Archer said.
But the current grant could only be used to repair or remodel existing facilities, she said, so the remodeling project was moved up.
“The food is really flowing, but we’re starting to see an uptick (in clients),” she said. “It’s not drastic yet, but there is an increase.”
Archer said there seems to be an increase in the homeless population, and many of the new customers coming to the food bank do not seem to be familiar with Moses Lake. Most homeless in the area are clients of the food bank, and the staff get to know them. Now the staff is seeing new homeless clients, she said.
The food bank is still accepting donations of food and money for food, which can be made at the current facility, 1075 W. Marina Drive.
People who want to donate for the construction of the new food bank can contact food bank operators at 509-765-8101. The construction project received $2 million in the state’s 2019-20 capital budget. And, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Vancouver, has agreed to match donations, “dollar for dollar,” for the building up to $300,000, Archer said.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.