MOSES LAKE — The line of cars stretched for the better part of a mile at noon Monday, an hour into Moses Lake Food Bank’s Thanksgiving meal distribution. 

“We have 2,500 families, and we’re anticipating all of them by Wednesday,” said food bank Operations Lead Jim Gantenbein. 

The food bank is located at the corner of Grape Drive and Beacon Road just off state Route 17, and volunteers in reflective vests stood at intervals to direct drivers down Grape to Maple, then on Maple to Stewart Road, then back up Beacon.  

The official beginning time for the distribution was 11 a.m., but people were already lined up at 7, so volunteers began distributing at 9, Gantenbein said.  

“There’s a core group of volunteers who just come for the Thanksgiving (distribution),” Gantenbein said. “They’re great. Every year they show up.” 

The volunteers – about 40 in addition to the food bank’s regular team – had the process running like a well-oiled machine. Cars came through the parking lot in two lines, and as they entered, volunteers would check to see that they had the food bank’s purple card showing that they’re registered food bank patrons. Each car then moved slowly forward, with hatchbacks and trunks open, while volunteers loaded the vehicles with a turkey or chicken, a sack of potatoes, a sack of onions, stuffing mix, pies and assorted other ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. There were 15 loading stations altogether, said Operations Support Angela Moore. 

“We’ve worked really hard (with) lots of preparation, and we’ve done it for so long that I think it’s just going to flow really easily,” Moore said. 

Many families carpooled, Gantenbein said, so as to cut down on the number of cars lining up. The assembly line served about 40 cars at a time, he said. Volunteers punched a hole in each card to prevent people from coming through twice. 

The drive-thru distribution was only for the first day, Gantenbein said. Tuesday and Wednesday patrons would come inside the food bank to get their meals. 

The Moses Lake Food Bank serves 350-400 people every week during ordinary times, Gantenbein said, and also serves as distributor for other food banks. Some funding comes from the State of Washington, he said, filled out by contributions from community members. 

“A lot of people are very good and very kind to the food bank,” he said. “We’ll get (a donation) and it will be earmarked for Thanksgiving or for Christmas.” 

This is the first Thanksgiving distribution since longtime director Peny Archer passed away in January. The entrance to the line sports a sign designating it as Peny Lane in tribute to her. 

“She is missed,” Gantenbein said. “I miss her. We worked together for 11 years and we were friends before that for 40 years.” 

The Moses Lake Food Bank is open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.,m.-2:45 p.m., and each family can come for food once a week. It’s located at 9299 Beacon Road NE, Moses Lake. Donations to the organization are always appreciated.

    Volunteers Shannon Rock, left, and Juli Miller check people in at the Moses Lake Food Bank’s Thanksgiving distribution Monday. Each vehicle had a card for each family represented, and a hole was punched in the card after they got their food to prevent people from doubling up.
  

    The Moses Lake Food Bank had 15 stations set up in its parking lot Monday for the drive-thru distribution, each with a different ingredient for a Thanksgiving meal.