Good Cheer Food Bank – How it Works

Posted by Kathy McLaughlin at 12:48 pm Add comments

Good Cheer is committed to its mission of creating a hunger-free community on South Whidbey Island. Alone, the challenge would be a mission impossible, but together we are getting it done.

We live in a community that is caring and supportive; with many volunteers who devote their time and energy to make this charity work.

The hardest part for many of our clients is simply asking for help; the help that we give creates an opportunity to focus on other issues. If our clients feel safe and less stressed they have a chance to move forward with their lives in a positive manner.

The Good Cheer Food Bank is like grocery store where clients use a shopping cart, it provides a sense of dignity in that they can choose their own foods. The food bank is a grocery store with a points system where a one-person household starts with a base of 70 points to spend per month, an additional 10 points per person is added for larger households. The clients also receive an additional 3 points by providing their own bags.

The Food Bank encourages clients to select the most nutritious foods by assigning fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, rice and other raw staples with lower points. Many times during the summer and fall our clients can pick up fresh garden vegetables for no points, which really encourages healthful eating.

While it is true that many of our clients have the ability of using the Food Stamp Program the problem that many people find is that their benefits can be relatively small. The poverty threshold in America for a single person is $11,170 and for a family of four the number goes to $23,050.

Using the food bank can free up some extra cash to provide for emergency needs. Pride can always be an issue but that is just our egos talking to us.

Becoming a client at the food bank is very easy! We trust you when you say you need food. Good Cheer serves the community of South Whidbey; the boundary is Bakken Road just before the Greenbank store, if you live south of that area you qualify as a client.

The proof of residency can be a rental or lease agreement, a receipt of that rent or lease, a utility bill, pay check stub, a note from your landlord or any official mailing that comes to your address. Bring that and you are in!

One of our volunteers will take your information and set you up with an account. You can access the food bank more than once during the month; just bear in mind that you can only use the number of points that you are allotted for the month.

On your first visit to the food bank a volunteer will show you around bank and explain the points system and answer any questions that you may have. You will be given a shopping worksheet so that you can track the points that you have used. This information goes on file so that you will know how many points that you have left for the month after your visit.

Sometimes we have excess goods that are zero point items; you can take all that you can use. All baby items are free (infants 2 years or younger) make sure to document this when you register.