A pop-up food pantry event in Mountlake Terrace provided food to more than 130 households Saturday. The event was sponsored by Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW), with assistance from the City of Mountlake Terrace, Concern for Neighbors Food Bank and multiple other local organizations.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to serve friends, family and neighbors in need,” said VOAWW CEO Steve Corsi. “We want to make sure that nobody goes to bed hungry, especially this time of year, but any time of year we don’t want anybody to be hungry or go without food nutrition.”

The three-hour drive-through food pantry was located near the former Rogers Market on 57th Avenue West. Each household was given five boxes of non-perishable foods, a $25 gift card to grocery stores, plus various supplemental food items.

Organizers estimated that food was provided to more than 120 vehicles, several of which were transporting the items for more than one household. In addition, volunteers delivered food boxes to nine Mountlake Terrace residences where people are homebound.

Many of those who received food expressed surprise that they were being sent home with so many boxes and items. Some were particularly astonished and grateful that grocery gift cards were also included.

The VOAWW brought two, 26-foot refrigerated box trucks to Saturday’s food pantry. Each truck held 11 pallets, and each pallet contained 260, 20-pound boxes of food. The Concern for Neighbors Food Bank also brought a cube truck filled with additional pantry staples.

Food items provided to households included beans, rice, cereals, canned fruit, crackers, canned fish, vegetable oil, flour and various dry goods.

Traditionally, the holidays are a busy time for food banks. In addition, some households are being affected by the end of state and federal pandemic relief programs. No documentation or eligibility requirements were needed to receive food.

Mountlake Terrace City Councilmember Steve Woodard, who also serves on the VOAWW board of directors, helped to bring the pop-up food pantry to the city. Saturday marked the second occasion the organization has held the event in Mountlake Terrace – there was previously one in August 2020.

Woodard noted that it was significant to help provide such resources in a local setting and heartening to see it in action. “It’s an honor to have the city as a whole step up,” he said, commending the partnership that made it possible.

“When I think about the importance of this, it’s both the food we’re giving out but also just the sense of community,” Woodard added. “Specifically, most of the people here that are on the helping side had some sense of, ‘I want to help my neighbors,’ and that’s what this is an opportunity to do. Another beautiful piece of this is that you also see neighbors taking care of neighbors.”

That spirit of support extends beyond a local ZIP code and the event also presented a chance “to just be a little bit larger in our thoughts,” Woodard said. “In terms of Lynnwood is our neighbor, Lake Forest Park is our neighbor — so let’s bring folks in, but let’s make sure they understand that Mountlake Terrace cares. Both as a city for those who live here but also recognizing that we’re good partners with each other.”

A steady stream of vehicles filtered through the drive-up event throughout the afternoon. More than 25 volunteers helped over the course of the event to load food boxes into vehicles, hand out flyers with resource information and help direct traffic. Several volunteers were local, while others, such as members of the Washington Rush U17 soccer team, came from surrounding communities including Everett and Mukilteo.

“We’ve got tons of volunteers out here,” Corsi noted. “They’re all having fun, helping people, everybody’s smiling and there’s a few tears of joy.”

Volunteer William Paige Jr., who helped direct traffic for the event Saturday and also serves on the Mountlake Terrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, said it was important to him that he help out. “We know that in spite of the fact that people might be back to work there are probably many more people that need help. And VOAWW is a great opportunity I think because of what they do and the amount that they do.”

He added, “My wife’s the one that saw the notification and it was like a no-brainer for us – let’s just get out here and do it.”

Mountlake Terrace resident Joyce Wheeler, who volunteered to deliver food boxes to local residences where people are homebound, said that everyone she encountered was extremely grateful. She reported that several people even came outside just to thank her while she was setting the food boxes by their front doors.

Woodard said he approached holding the event locally “with this idea that we’re interconnected, we’re in this together, so let’s lead together, let’s love together, and in that regard, I’m very happy with how today went.”

Additional sponsoring partners of Saturday’s food pantry included Cedarwood International Food Bank, Mountlake Terrace Community Foundation, Edmonds College Food Pantry, Mountlake Terrace Backyard Poultry, South County Fire and Mountlake Terrace Police Department.

Several members of the Mountlake Terrace City Council were also on hand at various points throughout the event.

— By Nathan Blackwell