Members of the Washington National Guard are now permanent employees at a local foodbank after offering a helping hand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Seeing the fear that some of them didn’t know what they were going to do when they left, as a community it was now our job to support them,” said Rebecca Skrinde, the executive director of Helping Hands foodbank in Sedro-Wooley.
The foodbank asked for support in April of 2020 when it saw an increased need, while at the same time sending their high-risk volunteers home.
“Once COVID hit we identified that many of our existing volunteers were in that demographic for being over 65 and high risk,” said Erik Larsen, operations manager at Helping Hands. “It was two of us doing the work for a lot of people. There was a lot of things that didn’t get done, but when I heard we were getting the Guard it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”
For the next 18 months, members of the Washington National Guard worked side by side with Larsen and Skrinde to feed not just the community of Sedro Woolley, but all of the surrounding areas.
“Before the pandemic we served Sedro-Woolley and a little bit into Mount Vernon. During the pandemic we served every town in the area and three other food banks closed permanently and reopened them during the pandemic,” said Skrinde. “None of it would have been possible without the Guard.”
The Guardsmen that supported Helping Hands moved more than 10 million pounds of food, serving nearly 700,000 individuals. As the mission started to come to an end, Skrinde began asking how many Guardsmen had jobs to go back to.
The number of Guardsmen looking for a job was 11. Skrinde knew that grant programs were put in place to help bring more paid employees to food banks and she made a call that paid off.
“When Worksource called they offered me one spot, well I said I want more,” said Skrinde. “We got ten spots, eight are filled by National Guard folks that were here before.”
One of the Guardsmen that is now full-time at Helping Hands is Master Sgt. Rick Baillie, 194th Force Support Squadron. Baillie started with Helping Hands in April of 2020, and came off orders a few times before leaving his then civilian job to take a deputy director position at the food bank.
“I was the first in and last out for the Guard,” said Baillie.
After 27 years in the cable industry, Baillie believed the chance to go back to Helping Hands, as a civilian, would be that opportunity he was looking for.
“After talking with Rebecca about what they do it was such an intriguing opportunity,” said Baillie. “I felt that it was a chance to do something bigger than myself, this is more rewarding.”
In total nine Guardsmen returned to Helping Hands after their orders ended, many of whom were already local to the Skagit and Whatcom county area. A few moved up to the area because they wanted to be closer.
“I moved up here because I wanted to be closer to the mission,” said Spc. Hunter Clatterbuck, a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion. “I have enjoyed it. I feel passionate about Helping Hands.”
While not all the positions are permanent, they are also providing the Guardsmen the chance to grow and learn while earning a living and helping others.
“It gives them some stability, continuity, have some fun and gives them a chance to gain experience,” said Skrinde. “After everything they did for us, I felt like it was our job to not just say ‘ok thanks bye,’ and the community supported that too.”
| Date Taken: |
11.18.2021 |
| Date Posted: |
11.18.2021 16:51 |
| Story ID: |
409627 |
| Location: |
SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: |
155 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, After their mission ends, Guardsmen still finding work at food bank, by Joseph Siemandel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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