The Concern for Neighbors Food Bank in Mountlake Terrace provides assistance for some 80 to 100 households weekly; this week the organization expects to see upwards of 150 people for their regular Tuesday distribution of food prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

While the majority of donations to the food bank comes from Northwest Harvest, Volunteers of America and local grocery stores, Concern for Neighbors Executive Director Michael Begeman stressed that their work wouldn’t be as comprehensive without the efforts of local groups and businesses that conduct food drives, especially prevalent during the holiday season.

“Schools, local businesses (and others) make up approximately 15 percent of our donations, which is not insignificant,” Begeman said.

While large charities and grocery stores are able to get the much-needed staples such as bread, fruits and vegetables, rice and beans and dairy products to food banks, locally-conducted food drives can often go beyond just the collection and delivery of necessities.

“Those drives tend to be more targeted to items that we need at the time,” Begeman stated. “Many request a ‘top-10-needed’ list and work off that. Plus, the quality tends to be higher.”

Local food drives also take the step to collect a much-needed commodity for Concern for Neighbors – cash. The food bank operates on an annual budget of approximately $80,000, with some of those funds going to pay for the lease of their space at Terrace View Presbyterian Church in Mountlake Terrace.

Drives collecting non-perishable food and cash at local schools, churches, scout troops and businesses are common in late November and December. Terrace Park School and St. Pius X School just recently concluded drives while Mountlake Terrace High School is finishing up a drive this week.

Drives are currently underway at Mountlake Terrace Family Dentistry and Edmonds Family Dentistry as well as other local businesses.

The Forest Crest Tennis Academy delivered 867 pounds of food and more than $1,000 in cash to the food bank last week, the results of this year’s annual Ace Out Hunger campaign at Mountlake Terrace’s Forest Crest Athletic Club.

While drives are a great help to Concern for Neighbors, Begeman also sees some other benefits to the efforts of those who get involved.

“When working with the schools and local businesses, we’re keeping it local, creating a sense of community,” he said. “And in the case of schools, instilling a sense of giving early in kids’ lives.”

“Our local partners are also a great source of volunteers,” Begeman added.

The food bank distributes food — with the help of up to 60 volunteers a week — each Tuesday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 4700 228th St. S.W. in Mountlake Terrace. For more information about the organization, go to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ConcernForNeighborsFoodBank. 

— By Doug Petrowski