Members of the Washington National Guard are working alongside Emergency Food Network (EFN) staff to pack more than 8,000 emergency food boxes this week in Fife. This week-long event is a collaborative effort between Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (DEM), Emergency Food Network, and the National Guard. The emergency food boxes will be distributed to Pierce County residents who are participating in EFN’s Home Delivery Program.
The Home Delivery Program serves over 300 families each week, providing one-time and recurring deliveries of both shelf stable and fresh foods. Thirty volunteer delivery drivers complete deliveries regularly to those in need of food assistance who are unable to leave their residence. This program, which began in May 2020, was created in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased need for food assistance in Pierce County. The program is open to those who identify as high-risk and signups are made through EFN’s website or via phone. If you are interested in being a volunteer driver please email homedelivery@efoodnet.org.
“Thank you so much for helping me and my daughter to be able to have sufficient amount of food during times like these,” said a recipient of the delivery program. “It has been more than a blessing and she loves the meatballs and the chicken pieces which we turned it into chicken noodles soups. I also appreciate the giving volunteers that helps to delivers it to us as well. Thank you again!”
Each emergency food box that is being packed this week contains an assortment of shelf-stable foods ranging from chicken chili to canned vegetables and peanut butter. Each box weighs about 15 pounds and is combined with fresh produce for each delivery. Emergency Food Network knows that shelf stable nutrition is particularly crucial for our unhoused community.
“We are so incredibly grateful to both the National Guard and Pierce County DEM for this collaborative effort,” says EFN CEO Michelle Douglas. “These boxes will go to feed thousands of our hungry neighbors throughout the first quarter of 2021. We’ve seen a 40% increase in the need for food assistance and we are so excited to have this community support in feeding our neighbors.”
Pierce County connected EFN with the National Guard and provided space for the packing team and staff to help pack boxes.
“Pierce County DEM is happy to bring partners together to help our community get through this challenging time,” said County Executive Bruce Dammeier. “Making our COVID warehouse space available to this critically important work is a great way for us to support our partners.”