Bonney Lake Food Bank is a community-driven and supported organization working to prioritize dignity for any person in need of food. At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, Bonney Lake Food Bank shifted most distribution to a contactless delivery model. Each day Monday-Friday 80-100 families receive home deliveries. Additional food needs continue to be met with a five day week onsite drive-through model with scheduled appointments available through an automated online system, while also accepting in-person signups.
Bonney Lake Food Bank’s goal is to make services accessible and comfortable for anyone in need of food. No one is turned away. Community members seeking services can directly text the food bank phone number where messages are then routed directly to team members’ phones. With the new communications system and contactless home delivery, it is possible to receive food without needing to see or speak to anyone directly. During the recent fires, the food bank was forced to evacuate, fortunately the building remained untouched.
Through use of a broadcasting app Bonney Lake Food Bank was able to directly message 750 families in 3 languages (Spanish, English, and Russian) in 30 seconds with alerts about the temporary closure and when services would resume via emergency distributions. Future projects include the development of a grocery market-style distribution site focused on making food banking a comfortable experience. To support and learn more about Bonney Lake Food Bank’s present and future work, please visit their website.
