Bremerton food bank launches extra hours for federal employees working without pay

A food bank in Kitsap County has opened its doors to some new shoppers. Last Wednesday, Bremerton Foodline launched a two-hour shopping period exclusively for military and federal employees. Kitsap is home to more than 21,000 federal workers who have gone without pay since the government shutdown began Oct. 1. KUOW’s Rob Wood talked to Foodline Executive Director Cori Kauk about her organization's efforts.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Rob Wood: How did your organization decide to make this move to open up extra hours just for federal workers?

Cori Kauk: At Bremerton Foodline, we're pretty creative and nimble. When we see a need out there in the community, we typically do what we can to fill it. And since a lot of federal employees are still working during the day, we knew that an extended hour or two in the evening would be beneficial.

How many people do you normally serve, and how many turned out for your first federal worker shopping session?

On a weekly basis, we normally serve about 1,000 households. In our first extra hours session, we served 52 households in a two-hour period.

How did they find out about this?

Really word of mouth. There are commanders and leaders on base who are actively spreading the word. If families are in need of services, all they have to do is come in during our service hours, Monday through Thursday, from 10 to 1:30. And for federal employees and military, we are open on Wednesdays from 4 to 6.

What kinds of reactions are you seeing as these federal employees come through your doors?

When we were open last week, it was pretty quiet. People are very humble and so appreciative. I will say, at the checkout counter when people are leaving, there have been tears and there have been lots of words of appreciation and lots of grateful sentiments.

Is there any particular conversation or person that stands out to you?

The thing that stands out the most to me is having households who are showing up with two family members who are federal employees who are not getting paid, and they have anywhere from three to five children. That's a huge gap for those individuals, and to think that we have a lot of families in our community who have that same situation, it just paints a picture for how really big this crisis is for our community.

How long will you be able to extend your hours this way?

We will have extended hours through the shutdown, and we are discussing what it might look like to remain open one or two evenings a week moving forward to better accommodate our families who work during the day.

Do you have enough supplies to serve more people?

We have enough supplies right now. The community has been stepping up. As the shutdown continues and our numbers increase, we will need increased support.

Are there some things that you are in more need of than others?

We're in need of baby formula, because, as many of you know, WIC is also at risk of being shut down as of November 1, as well as SNAP. I think our greatest needs are baby formula, diapers, wipes, perishable items such as cheese, eggs, milk, and either canned proteins or fresh meat.

And if somebody wants to help you out, what do they need to do?

They can just stop in with a contribution. They can make a financial contribution so that Bremerton Foodline can purchase what we need when we need it. Additionally, now's a really good time to be showing up and volunteering at a local food bank.

How long have you been doing this work, and what got you into it?

I have been a food bank director for 13 years. I've been at Bremerton Foodline for two years. I just have a real passion for building community and working in an environment where, on a day-to-day basis, I know we're making life better for other people.

I don't think there's really a more important mission than feeding people and making sure children and seniors aren't food insecure; that there's a confidence they know that they're going to have breakfast in the morning, or that they're going to have a hot dinner. It just feels really good to be a part of a team of people who have that same passion and drive.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.