QUINCY — The Quincy Food Bank is trying to build a new facility to meet growing needs in the community. 

“We purchased the land across the alley from our existing food bank several years ago, in an attempt to have an actual new home for it,” said Food bank manager Teri Laney, “But it was too small (and) we were not able to do it due to city codes, so we put it on the back burner.” 

The existing Quincy Food Bank is a 2,400-square-foot building built in 1991, according to county records. During the six and a half hours it’s open every week, it serves about 500 families, Laney said. 

“There’s nowhere for them to get out of the weather,” she said. “We don’t have enough room inside for more than two or three families, depending on where they are in the line, and no room for them to wait inside, and not really any room for new sign-ups. They have to come all the way around our desk to sign up.” 

Instead, patrons end up waiting in their cars and marking their spot in line with a bag, Laney said, creating questions about who was ahead of whom.

“They try to save their spot with a bag, and it’s not fair to everybody else,” she said. 

Rather than building a whole new food bank, Laney said, it was decided that the empty land would be used for a warehouse with coolers and freezers. The building would be used only for storage, Laney said, and then down the road the food bank building could be remodeled. 

“We’re getting ready to break ground,” she said. “(We) met with the city and we’re going to try to get the concrete, the shell and the roof done before winter.” 

The project is expected to cost about $300,000, Laney said, which the food bank is trying to raise with help from the community. An anonymous donor kicked in the first $50,000, according to Jennifer DeChenne with the Columbia Basin Foundation, which is holding the funds for the capital campaign. 

“People who want to donate can mail the checks here with the Quincy Food Bank on the memo line,” DeChenne said.  

To contribute: 

Donations may be sent to the Columbia Basin Foundation, 101 Basin St. NW, 

Ephrata, WA 98823. More information can be found at cbfcommunity.org. Additionally, the Columbia Basin Herald is sponsoring a raffle for three prize baskets to support the food bank's efforts. Email [email protected] for details on how to purchase a raffle ticket. 

    The Quincy Food Bank, located at 210 First Ave. SE, serves about 500 families every week.