Open mind needed over food bank plans

To The Eagle:

James Reed’s letter to The Wahkiakum Eagle of last week (5/31) projects some misleading notions about what is being proposed for a facility at Erickson Park.

As architectural advisor to the Helping Hand Food Bank, I was asked to initiate a discussion about increasing use of an under-used Erickson Park with a semi-permanent location for a facility to house both of our local food banks and incorporate a demonstration kitchen sponsored by the Washington State University Extension office in Wahkiakum County.

We did not propose “a 2,000 square foot Food Bank” as Mr. Reed claims. In fact, no design was submitted, only a diagram of spatial needs. Actually, it was County Commissioner Lisa Marsyla who asked at the May 22 meeting that we project a minimum and a maximum footprint for the proposed facility, and that is what we will do as we coordinate with the Wahkiakum Food Bank and WSU Extension.

James Reed’s claim that “There did arise some disagreement over whether Erickson Park was a proper site…” actually was his own disagreement, which he explained after the meeting as a duty to be a devil’s advocate. His references at the meeting to parks in Houston, San Francisco and New York were hardly appropriate to our community.

The Board of the Helping Hand Food Bank has gone through vetting many proposed sites for food bank use in near proximity to Cathlamet, the service focal point of eastern Wahkiakum County. We were asked at the May 22 meeting to document our research, and we will do that for a future public meeting.

I ask that all interested people keep an open mind as we all explore a way to provide a central and more permanent location for distributing food to needy families and educating all residents about how to prepare nutritious meals. We hope to see more residents at the next meeting about providing a combined food bank and demonstration kitchen facility for all of us.

Craig Brown

Cathlamet