Sequim community agencies plan to continue the COVID Relief Food Care Package program starting Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave.
The program will move from Sequim High School’s parking lot after its Aug. 19 session due to educators returning to classes.
Organizers said “customers” can go anytime from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. starting Aug. 26 to the south entrance of the church to receive free boxes of food — perishable, nonperishable and dairy products —after answering some basic questions.
The program is open each Wednesday until further notice.
On Aug. 10, the school site saw its highest total of “customers” come by this summer, serving 522 families.
“It is evident that the community is feeling the pinch since the ($600 COVID-19 unemployment relief) ran out and the new executive order (for unemployment relief) will not get checks here immediately,” said Cindy Zechenelly, Clallam County Fire District 3 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) coordinator.
As of two weeks ago, the site had distributed 9,130 boxes of food to 4,184 families/households.
Zechenelly said those who have come by expressed a lot of appreciation, and the approximate 40 CERT volunteers love helping.
The program started June 3 and operated for 12 weeks with food from local and regional distributors funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and distributed by local agencies’ Community Point of Distribution.
Available items range from peanut butter to cereal to fresh produce to milk and eggs.
To continue the Point of Distribution program from the past 12 weeks, leaders with the Clallam County Emergency Operation Center in the Clallam County Courthouse extended a Delegation of Authority with the Sequim Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) in support of a county-wide COVID Food Care Package program.
Sequim’s ECC joins efforts of the City of Sequim, Clallam County Fire District 3 and Sequim School District to serve people from Deer Park Road to Eastern Clallam County, Gardiner and portions of Jefferson County.
Zechenelly commends Andra Smith, executive director of the Sequim Food Bank, for finding additional food to help more people through the program, too.
For more information on the COVID Relief Food Care Package program, call Dan Orr, Clallam County Fire District 3 assistant chief, at 360-683-4242.
