Every week, the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank feeds more than 200 families out of its modest 900-square-foot location, next door to North Bend Community Church, at 116 E. Third St. in North Bend.

But after more than 30 years of service, the little food bank is feeling some serious growing pains. Helping Hand now needs the community’s help to add square footage and make food distributions safer and more efficient.

Looking to raise $90,000 for a 500-square-foot addition, with groundbreaking scheduled for March 1, the food bank’s capital campaign kicked into high gear this month. Food bank coordinator Gail Gergasko said the group has already reached out to both the cities of North Bend and Snoqualmie, as well as all local churches. Now it’s the business community’s turn. Volunteers from the food bank, as well as allied students at Mount Si High School, are approaching businesses to help.

Mount Si students produced a video documenting the needs of the food bank, which is available to view.

The campaign has already brought in about $30,000.

“We need community involvement,” Gergasko said. “This is their food bank; it feeds their people. We need their help.”

Founded in 1972, Helping Hand Food Bank currently feeds 1100 different families a year, 250 families each week.

For the complete story subscribe to the Valley Record (425) 888-2311