Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
The Blessing Box outside the Waitsburg Christian Church is emptied and refilled multiple times a day during this crisis. Please consider adding to the box with a can of soup, bag of beans, box of cookies or anything that could help keep our community healthy and safe. A well nourished person has better defenses to deal with illness.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Waitsburg Resource Center (Food Bank), is working to ensure that their volunteers and neighbors (clients) are all safe. As a result, they are currently open on Thursday afternoon from 2-4 p.m.
Items are pre-bagged now, and the Resource Center will not be observing weight restrictions based on the number of people in each family group at this time.
Neighbors will not be allowed in the building for self-selecting items.
Neighbors are asked to wait outside on the sidewalk and bagged items will be set out for them.
The Resource Center is asking those who are sick to stay home, and they suggest one send a neighbor or family member pick up their items for them.
Children (or a parent) who currently receive weekend food packets may also pick up their items on Thursdays at the food bank.
Other food resources include the Blue Mountain Action Council in Walla Walla at 921 W. Cherry, which is hosting a weekly distribution every Saturday at their warehouse site to help provide food to people impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Pastor Matt Wyatt of the Waitsburg Christian Church commends the work that the Resource Center has been doing, saying, "The Waitsburg Resource Center has done an amazing job of still getting the food out to families while still practicing social distancing and safety."
He notes that the "Blessing Box" outside his church continues to be filled and emptied each day.
However, Wyatt has noticed that the people he serves are having difficulty affording their medical prescriptions. "With people out of work and some being laid off, they are having problems paying out of pocket for their much-needed prescriptions. We have been able to keep up so far (with funding assistance), but our funds are slowly decreasing as this moves on."
Other difficulties people are facing include paying their rent and utility bills, as well as affording gas for their vehicles. Wyatt notes that the Waitsburg Ministerial Foundation has been able to meet the needs so far, however their funds are decreasing, and they would welcome financial donations. Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to PO Box 707, Waitsburg, WA 99361.
Father Steve Werner at the Waitsburg Catholic Church said that his congregation donates funds directly to the Waitsburg Resource Center and also encourages people to seek out the services of Project Timothy, in Dayton.
Although the Project Timothy office is closed, as it resides inside the Dayton St. Vincent DePaul building, which is also closed, residents can visit their food bank on Tuesday afternoons from 2-4 p.m. The food bank is located at 111 S. 1st Street in Dayton.
Project Timothy also serves as a clearing house providing financial assistance for emergency housing, rent and utilities, transportation, food, and prescriptions to families in need. Although they are not offering face-to-face service at this time, those in need can contact the office between 12 - 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday by calling (509) 382-2943, where arrangements can be made to access services.
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