Everett food bank receives a hefty grant to turn dream into reality
The dream is to expand their services of feeding hungry people by providing housing for some of their unsheltered families with children.
EVERETT, Wash — Faith Food Bank in Everett is celebrating a big dream come true.
The dream was to expand their services of feeding hungry people by providing housing for some of their unsheltered families with children. That dream will come true thanks to a $75,000 grant.
Roxana Boroujerdi has been volunteering with the food bank since it opened in 2014 and is a member of the Faith Lutheran Church.
“We only have about 30 members and started by feeding around 20 families. By the time COVID hit in 2020 we saw the demand skyrocket and served over 1.4 million meals. We served even more last year so not bad for a couple dozen volunteers!” Boroujerdi said.
The dream of expanding came from an obvious need the volunteers have witnessed over the years. Roxana said many of the people they feed each week don’t have a home. The vision to provide shelter and community has been in the works for a while.
Representative Rick Larsen was on hand for a special check presentation Wednesday.
Larsen helped to secure $245,560 for Everett’s Pallets to Housing Initiative. Pallet Shelter is a social-purpose company based in Everett and is working to end unsheltered homelessness with people-first shelter village solutions.
Faith Food Bank is following the lead and hopes to install eight Pallet homes on their property to provide shelter and community for families with children. The dream is a step closer to reality thanks to a “big dream grant.”
Faith Food bank submitted their dream for the Faith Family Village to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The church chose Faith Food Bank to receive their biggest grant to date out of the submissions from across the country. The $75,000 will help the food bank continue serving hundreds of families each week while they prepare to install the pallet homes in the fall.
“We are so thankful that this is happening in time for us to get some families with kids in to their safe space in time for the holidays,” said Boroujerdi.
The Faith Family Village will have an administrative meeting on August 18. The current plan is to start breaking ground by October.