If you think Thanksgiving is a challenging time for local charities that support people with basic sustenance, wait till you see them in the run-up to Christmas.
“Here at the BMAC main office we are dealing with about 278 families that are on our waiting list for rent assistance that are all indicating need for food assistance for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Blue Mountain Action Council Executive Director Kathy Covey.
It boils down to a combination of needs: winter, holidays, health and economic effects of the pandemic.
At the BMAC Food Distribution Center, Thanksgiving is extremely busy, but Christmas is more hectic, said Jeff Mathias, distribution director. There’s an elevated need for food plus the center also handles gifts and toys,
“We’re hanging in there,” Mathias said. “We’ve broken records of the numbers of households served … Christmas is more of everything.”
On top of all that, the recent COVID-19 shutdowns added more economic stress to households.
The week before Thanksgiving last year BMAC served 567 households. This year it’s 718.
“That’s a record for us,” Mathias said.
At the end of November last year one F-150 truck with 1,500 pounds of food served 48 households in Burbank. This year it took took two, 24-square-foot box trucks to deliver food to 298 households.
“That was each week,” said Mathias, who anticipates food shortages are possible at some point.
A number of people have called about holiday dinners but the food bank doesn’t have all the traditional fixings. It has given out some turkey breasts and some traditional items but there’s not a reserve of those.
“We’re just trying to keep up,” Mathias said. “We don’t have the special holiday foods.”
The Washington Army National Guard has been helping BMAC since early April, and Mathias is very thankful for their dedication and hard work.
To receive food, recipients must give information about the number of persons in the household, income and ages.
BMAC is accepting donations at921 W, Cherry St., but due to the construction at the site people must park across the street get a worker’s attention.
The 5,000-square-foot warehouse BMAC is constructing is expected to be about 75% complete by the end of the year. When finished it will provide more storage capacity and ease of distribution.
Mathias has seen a lot in 2020, and clings to a positive attitude amid all confusion and difficulty.
“With all the disruptions, floods, fires, economic troubles and the virus: This year there’s change happening all around us, everyday,” he said. “It’s important to stay fluid and go on to new adventures.”
In addition to the Walla Walla location, BMAC serves clients in five other communities.
