About Mobile Food Express
Mobile Food Express is
a joint effort between Skagit County Community Action and five Skagit
food banks to provide home delivered food from the food bank to
homebound people.
Using a 14’ Express Van
(called the Mobile Food Express), local volunteers pick up food boxes at
5 partnering food banks and deliver the food to the homes of Skagit’s
neediest families, typically seniors and disabled.
In 2008 the Mobile Food
Express delivered to 126 families, and delivered over 1,000 boxes of
food. That may seem like a lot of households, but many more need our
help!
Who Is Eligible?
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Anyone that can not get to a food bank due to age, disability or
lack of transportation. The primary populations served are seniors
and people with disabilities. However, other families facing
temporary emergency situations can also be served on a case-by-case
basis. |
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Is Mobile Food Express the same as Meals on Wheels?
The two programs
complement each other.
Mobile Food Express
coordinates with Meals on Wheels but is a different program. Whereas
Skagit County’s Meals on Wheels brings prepared, ready-to-eat meals to
people over 60, Mobile Food Express delivers groceries like produce,
meats, eggs, dairy and canned soups and vegetables – everything you’d
find at the food bank, and in some cases, special dietary needs items,
too.
Mobile Food Express is
more appropriate for people who can cook for themselves; Meals on Wheels
is more appropriate for seniors who have trouble cooking on their own.
For more information on
Meals on Wheels go to
http://www.skagitmealsonwheels.org/whoiseligible.html
Areas Served
Mount Vernon,
Burlington, Sedro-Woolley and Anacortes are the four main areas of
service. Other areas in Skagit (like East County) may be served on an
as-needed, emergency basis but require special arrangements since
volunteers use their own vehicles in these instances.
Where Does the Food Come From?
The vast majority of the food is provided by the five
partnering food banks in Skagit, which are:
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Helping Hands
Food Bank of Sedro-Woolley |
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Citipoint Food
Bank and Neighbors in Need of Mount Vernon (also serving
Burlington) |
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Anacortes 100 and
Salvation Army of Anacortes |
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In addition, Skagit
Community Action provides supplemental foods when available throughout
the year. The Mobile Food Express receives no state or federal support
for operation. It relies on community donations and funding from
private foundations. Click
here for more information on donating.
Volunteers Make It Happen
Volunteers are needed
for the Mount Vernon, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Anacortes, and Concrete
areas. We need:
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Drivers |
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Ride-a-long
helpers |
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People to load
boxes and bags at the food banks |
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People to help
with office work and data entry |
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To learn more about
volunteering with Mobile Food Express, click here. You can also email
Justin Keefe or call 360-416-7585. You can also check out
the Skagit Volunteer Center
and search by zip code for opportunities in your area. All volunteers
must pass a criminal background check.
Donating To Mobile Food Express
Cash or food donations
will go a long way in supporting the homebound families we serve. For
some of the most elderly and disabled who rarely leave their homes, it’s
the only support they receive.
In-Kind Donations
If you’ve got food to
spare that is sitting unused, we can find a home for it.
Here’s a list of
most-needed items:
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Canned tuna, salmon,
chicken |
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Pasta and rice |
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Canned vegetables |
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Canned soup |
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Peanut butter |
Please check dates on
your food donations. We can only except canned or nonperishable foods
if the expiration date is no more than a year past.
Cash Donations –
Donate Now
Cash donations will go
even further. By buying in bulk from non-profit distributors (such as
Food Lifeline), each $1 you donate can purchase an entire case of canned
food. Cash donations are tax-deductible. Cash donations can be done
online through a secure server, or sent to Skagit County
Community Action Agency, 330 Pacific Place, Mount Vernon, WA, 98273.
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