Northwest Harvest temporarily closes Fruitvale market in Yakima because of volunteer shortage

Northwest Harvest’s Fruitvale Community Market in Yakima, which allows people to shop for free groceries, is temporarily closed because of a shortage of volunteers.

Northwest Harvest plans to reopen the market on Sept. 6 after it closed Aug. 14. Before the closure, it served between 600 and 700 families a day, three days a week after opening in April.

The nonprofit is taking time to build its volunteer base before returning to a fully operational, in-person market, said Jeanie Chunn, community engagement director for the nonprofit.

“It’s really hard to run food banks without volunteers,” she said. “We weren’t being true to who we wanted to be in the community.”

The Fruitvale Community Market is one of dozens of food banks and pantries in Yakima County that helps those who need it. Northwest Harvest is a statewide organization working against food insecurity and also operates a food distribution center near Fruitvale Boulevard that supplies other food banks and programs. The distribution center remains open.

In Yakima County, about 55% of all families with children and 24% of all households — more than 20,000 — receive food stamps or supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Northwest Harvest moved to a drive-thru model in Yakima before closing in August while searching for more volunteers but needed more volunteers to return to its previous grocery shopping experience, Chunn said.

The idea behind the community market is allowing choice through free, low-barrier shopping. Shelves are stocked with everything from produce to bread to dairy and proteins. Community members were able to select what they wanted in quantities they needed.

It’s an effort to give Northwest Harvest’s shoppers control, Chunn said. She added that returning to that model will let Northwest Harvest best serve the community.

“They can have the dignity to come in, get a shopping basket and move around the grocery store as they see fit,” Chunn said. “We want to provide people the dignity of choice and the grocery store model really lets us do it.”

In a situation where food is handed out, Chunn said, people may receive too much of an ingredient, something they don’t like or food they are unfamiliar with. Shopping ensures a quality experience.

Many in Yakima took advantage of the opportunity. The market opened in April and quickly attracted long lines.

The Fruitvale Community Market operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and served 600-700 families each of those days, Chunn said. Northwest Harvest is planning on operating on those same days when it reopens, she said.

Need for volunteers

Those are also the days Northwest Harvest needs volunteers the most. The nonprofit isn’t alone. Volunteers are in short supply across the Yakima Valley and beyond.

“There’s a volunteer shortage nationwide,” Chunn said.

Many food banks are reliant on volunteers, Chunn said, and without them, the Fruitvale Community Market cannot operate.

While the Fruitvale Community Market is closed, she added, community engagement staff are reaching out to local businesses and companies to present Northwest Harvest’s work and encourage people to volunteer.

Volunteering does not need to be all-consuming; most shifts are only a few hours. Chunn said teams of volunteers from local businesses or organizations are welcome to sign up as well.

Reliability and regularity are what matter most, Chun said. Even coming one day a month, if it’s consistent, would be helpful, she said.

Other food pantries

There are other options for folks who need food while the Fruitvale Community Market is closed, Chunn said. She directed community members to Northwest Harvest’s Find Food map on its website.

Community members can also call 211 to connect with local resources, Chunn added.

The need for food assistance hasn’t gone anywhere in Yakima.

Pat Reynolds, the pantry coordinator at St. Michael’s Food Pantry, said there were leaps in demand in May and last week at St. Michael’s Episcopal Mission. St. Michael’s opens its food pantry every Friday.

Last week, Reynolds said, attendance jumped from 50 families to more than 70. Reynolds said she was not sure why that jump occurred.

“Sometimes you just don’t know why there are more or fewer,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds noted the importance of food banks and pantries, adding that needs in the community have increased after food stamps and other food assistance, some of which were tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, were cut earlier this year.

None of it would be possible without St. Michael’s reliable volunteers, Reynolds said, emphasizing the importance of volunteering for food pantries.

“I have wonderful volunteers, I’ve had them for years,” Reynolds said. “There are five of them. They’re just the most dedicated.”