MATTAWA - About 40 members of the community joined board members and volunteer workers on Aug. 12 to formally open the new Mattawa Food Bank.

The sparkling new 1,800-square-foot building caused Board President Linda Strand to recall a time when there was no building.

"We were distributing food from a little unit at the Esperanza Housing area, outside in the cold," she said.

Strand said the board is grateful to people who donated rent-free space to the food bank over the years. She called the new building a "wonderful permanent location."

It was so cold at times, Strand said of previous operations, that workers could store frozen food under tarps and it wouldn't thaw prior to distribution.

"You can imagine what it was like for both the volunteers and the clients," she commented.

The food bank has moved around. It was housed in a room at the junior high. It was located in the front area of Steve and Shauna Allen's asparagus packing house. It was operated out of a commercial building owned by Epimenia Espino.

"What a blessing," Strand said. "The people in this community have been so generous and supportive."

The greatest blessings of all, perhaps, were the money, material and labor that were donated for the permanent food bank site in the Port of Mattawa Industrial Park.

"This is a true, true blessing," Strand said.

Still, there is a wish list. Strand is seeking donations for the construction of a cold room within the building. She estimates a cost of $4,000.

"We also need a pallet jack to expedite the off-loading of food we receive," she said. "And we continue to need donations to buy food and pay on-going building operation expenses."

Anyone who would like to help is asked to call Strand at 932-5642 or Jeff Curtis at 932-4479.