Time-tested values help meet the challenges of a changing community.
Fife/Milton/Edgewood Food Bank Manager, Fred Mitchell, has witnessed Fife go through some big changes in his lifetime.
“This all used to be dairy farms,” he says, reminiscing about his childhood growing up in the area post World War II. Back when Fred was growing up with his parents and six siblings, the food landscape was built of mostly self-sufficient farms and a population small enough that neighbors could help neighbors through hard times. If one family’s apple tree had thrived that year, everyone was invited to come pick some for their kitchens. “We didn’t have much cash, but food was never a question.”
Fast forward to 2020, and Fife is now mostly warehouses where there were once fields of crops. The Fife/Milton/Edgewood Food Bank is situated just off the freeway where trucks depart and return with their loads. It hasn’t been an easy transition, as cost of living has continued to increase with wages far behind. The consequences show in the pantry’s meticulously kept records. From 2017 to 2019 the pounds of food that the food bank gave out nearly doubled, and guest visits grew by 43%. Many of the 40 or so volunteers are of the same generation as Fred. Today, they harness the same spirit of ingenuity and community care they were brought up with to meet the challenge of hunger in Fife.
Equally as important as efficiency is compassion. Nearly 1,000 individuals visit each month, and it is the motto of Fife/Milton/Edgewood Food Bank to “Provide food to all who come to our door”. Fred firmly believes in respecting their guests. “Our policy is that we don’t ask any questions when you come in, ” he says. That is, beyond the basic things needed for record, such as name and housing status, the pantry does not need to know your situation. Guests can enter without fear of having to prove or legitimize their need.
The building itself is a former house located behind St. Martin of Tours Parish. Storage space is well-organized and every shelf space efficiently used. They receive most of their inventory from Emergency Food Network and Food Lifeline, as well as regular food drives at the parish and parish school. Using creative thinking and flexibility, they have also been able to leverage the nearby warehouses as a resource. With the high volume of deliveries, there are inevitably mistakes that lead to extra food arriving at a loading dock where it’s not needed. Coordinating their availability and using their own vehicles, volunteers go to pick up the food in the narrow time window before it is discarded. Sometimes it’s as much as a whole pallet of food!
As long as there is hunger, Fife/Milton/Edgewood Food Bank is happy to be there to help. Yet no matter how long he works at the food bank, Fred remains amazed at how little people are talking about the magnitude of hunger, and that a country like ours has not put more resources into solving the underlying problems of poverty and inequality. He would love to see food insecurity statistics reported as often and as economic growth and unemployment rates. Modestly speaking as if the category does not include himself, he praises the people who give so much of their time and energy and wishes more people knew about the immense work that goes into feeding the hungry day to day. “You don’t know until you see it.” he says.
If you’re interesting in getting involved, the pantry could use more volunteers on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. 7:00 am -10:00 am, they need help with stocking and pickups, and from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm, to hand out food to the guests. If you are interested, call (253) 922-0960 or e-mail fredmarymitchell@aol.com. You are encouraged to drop by, no pressure, and see if it’s a good fit.