RICHLAND, Wash.– The Tri-Cities Food Co-op is marking its one-year anniversary with a celebration Oct. 30. The co-op has been on a mission to address food insecurity in the area, a need that has become more pressing due to recent events.
According to the most recent Washington State Food Security Survey, half of the over 5,000 Benton County residents surveyed have experienced food insecurity within the previous year of the survey.
On Oct. 29, Governor Bob Ferguson pledged to allocate $2.2 million a week to support SNAP. However, food insecurity remains a significant issue in Benton and Franklin Counties.
Jessica McPeak, the interim operations manager at the Tri-Cities Food Co-op, discussed the progress made since the co-op’s inception.
“We started out with just produce. It was a six-phase approach, and we can say we successfully have gotten through five phases, but we still have a lot of growth,” she said.
The final phase aims to transform the co-op into a full grocery store with full refrigeration, a deli, a soup and sandwich bar, and more community programs.
McPeak is excited about the upcoming anniversary celebration, which will feature entertainment including a saxophone player and the popular juggler Bill Barr. The event will be open to members and their guests from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. More information on the event can be found here.
McPeak also addressed the impact of reduced federal funding on food programs.
“Some of our own staff members have experienced people coming in and talking to them about fear of not being able to feed their families,” she said. The co-op offers benefits for members in need, such as a sliding scale membership and community resources like the mutual aid project, which accepts donations on Sundays and provides resources to those in need, even those without memberships.
Despite the challenges, McPeak emphasized the importance of community support. “Remembering that– as a community we can do a lot to help each other to feed each other and to help our neighbor and remembering that we are the ones that keep each other safe,” she said.
For those interested in donating, joining the co-op as a member, or learning more about the anniversary event, details can be found on the co-op’s website.
