January 27, 2022

COVID Hunger Relief Grant Funds Distribution Positions

In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, newly hired food bank director Stacey Crnich found herself in a collapsing building trying to figure out how to feed an ever-growing number of people.

The Bonney Lake Food Bank, now known as simply “The Market,” has seen a 700 percent increase in service since then. It went from serving 100-125 families each week to serving 1,400 families at the height of the pandemic so far.

The average food bank growth in Pierce County during this time was 50-55 percent. So why did The Market see such an influx? Crnich attributes the growth to two main reasons: the pandemic resulted in more people experiencing food insecurity, many for the first time, and also, The Market’s commitment to providing equity and dignity to those they serve.

One of the first things Crnich did was invest in a text broadcasting app that allowed customers to text to arrange service and also allowed Crnich to send out communications in all the languages her customers speak. It broke down previous barriers and opened the floodgates to new possibilities for the underrepresented in the community.

An operation that started with one part-time director and two employees paid for one hour a week, The Market now has six employees and a full-time director. A saving grace for Crnich was the allocation of members of the Army National Guard. In April 2020, The Market was initially assigned seven guard members, and eventually up to 11.

“The guard was an amazing resource because one guard was like the equivalent of three civilians. It was like they had 33 extra employees,” Crnich said.

The National Guard was instrumental in setting up The Market’s food delivery system because they could not offer in-person distribution, a system of which The Market still uses basic elements. The guard has since been recalled, and Crnich now relies on her six employees and volunteers.

During that time, The Market moved locations to a larger, safer space just outside the City of Bonney Lake and resumed in-person distribution over a year later in the Summer of 2021.

The Market now offers in-person shopping in a model that is aimed to provide service with dignity. Customers can come in and experience a grocery shopping trip with no limitations and have options that offer diverse foods with included recipes that appeal to customers of all ethnic backgrounds.

And while the transition back into in-person service was wildly successful, The Market was feeling the loss of The National Guard support.

Cue Workforce Central.

Through a contract with the Washington State Department of Commerce, Pierce County received a Community Development Block Grant for Covid Hunger Relief. Through this grant, Workforce Central, in partnership with Valeo Vocation, recruits for these positions directly related to feeding people in Pierce County. The grant is specifically helping organizations that were previously assigned National Guard members.

The grant funds 23 full-time positions that are directly related to food distribution. It is intended to support those with low and moderate income.

In Bonney Lake, Crnich is using the funding to subsidize her two original employees who were only previously paid for one hour of work a week prior to the pandemic. The Market’s payroll went from $2,000 to $20,000 a month.

The Covid Relief Grant provides a much-needed buffer to The Market’s payroll. The two employees will be paid for 32 hours a week at a living wage. She said no employee at The Market makes less than $20 an hour now.

Funding for the positions will continue through the end of January 2023.

“The grant was created with the understanding that the pandemic has caused food insecurity,” said Kari Haugen, Director of Workforce Partnerships, who is helping facilitate the grant.

Valeo facilitates the placement of these positions, and six organizations in Pierce County will receive funding.

In addition to The Market, Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank, Nourish Pierce County, Emergency Food Network, Key Peninsula Community Services, and St. Leo’s Food Connection will receive funding to pay for the positions.