“Jane” could come to the Orcas Food Bank more often.

But mindful of all the other islanders in need of canned goods and sundries – a group that keeps getting bigger, it seems – she only goes when she is really having a hard week.

“I try not to abuse it because other people might need it more than me,” the mother of two said, adding, “I’m really glad they’re here.”

Jane (not her real name) is among the growing ranks of islanders who rely on the food bank to get by each month. Helping to meet that demand are Larry and Joyce Shaw, who this month took over the agency’s directorship.

They succeed longtime directors Dave and Lina McPeake, who retired mid-month. Long-time secretery/treasurer Judy Hughes also left the board.

“I’m enjoying it,” said Larry. “It’s eye-opening once you get involved. Some of the people feel ashamed to come here. One of our goals is to keep our clients anonymous.”

The Shaws have lived on Orcas for 32 years. Larry recently retired from his position at Island Market as director of operations, and Joyce has taught piano lessons to hundreds of island children. Joyce also owned the first Orcas Island fabric shop, called the Treadle Mill, for nine years.

“Our goal is to carry on from the McPeakes, addressing needs in the community the best we can,” Larry said.

The Shaws are eager to add their own contributions. They plan to find segments of the community that are currently not being reached.

“There’s a community of homeless kids that shift from place to place, and we want to make sure they have adequate food,” Joyce said. “We want to make sure there’s nobody in the community who doesn’t have food.”

The Shaws have recently begun gathering more information on food bank clients.

“We ask them if they’re in permanent housing. We try to find out if they’re on a special diet, whether they have cooking facilities and a refrigerator, whether they have a vehicle. We ask if they’re working, and how many people are in their household,” explained Joyce.

Endorsed by the county, the Orcas Food Bank is now applying for a federal grant to construct its own building. The timeline is uncertain, as the government will approve or deny the application at its own pace, Larry said. As case goods are now stored outside Eastsound in a warehouse owned by OPALCO, the Shaws envision a food bank where everything can be under one roof.

The Orcas Island Community Church has offered the Food Bank a $1 per year, long-term lease on a patch of church property, on which the new food bank can be built.

“This is our way of demonstrating God’s love to people in need,” said Community Church pastor Dick Staub. “The practice of serving the community has always been at the heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition … We serve out of a basic love for our fellow human beings.”

Recently, local churches have been serving a hot lunch during food bank hours. Barb Griffin serves as coordinator, and members of the Community Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, St. Francis Catholic Church, and the Orcas Island Unitarian Universalist Fellowship all take turns preparing the meal throughout the month.

In past years, 35 families was a big day, said volunteer Gerry Baker. But since the bank moved to the church’s basement in the spring of 2009, volunteers regularly serve between 60 and 70 families.

In the old location, Baker remembers wearing six layers of clothing while working in the freezing cold shed during some winters. Families with young children had to stand outside in the wind, rain and snow or leave their babies unattended in vehicles while they waited for their turn to pick up groceries.

Now food bank visitors are greeted by tables loaded with hot food as they step into the heated basement, arranged like a café with tables and chairs.

“The food bank is now more accessible because we’re right in town; it’s easy to find, and we’re offering a hot lunch,” she said.

Thanksgiving and Christmas saw record highs of 130 and 120 families, respectively.

The Sounder conducted an informal survey of food bank clients, on condition of anonymity.

Although the seasonal Orcas economy is largely responsible for hungry winters on Orcas, a general lack of jobs is to blame as well.

Every single person said they were looking for work, and most said they would do just about any job that came up. Some have looked for work off island with no luck; others say they simply don’t have the cash it would take move off the island. A small percentage is homeless, sleeping in vehicles and other substandard accommodations. Some have no running water, kitchen or bathroom facilities.

Joyce said that a homeless shelter on Orcas would indeed fill a need.

“There is a connection there; it’s the same group of lower income people who need housing and food,” she said. “I would hope at some point the churches would address that; it could be a vision for our community.”

One island resident said he does odd jobs and work trades with cafés for food, and is not on any public assistance. He has found work very scarce lately.

“I’ve always been able to find something. It’s a lot tougher this year,” he said. “The past 12 to 15 months have been one of the toughest times of my life. But I’ve seen people without means helping each other out, slipping a few dollars to each other. It’s bringing out the best in people.”

A single mom explains, “I have two sons and they eat a lot! I can’t possibly fill up their bottomless pit tummies.”

Her husband recently left her and her children without support, and she said other Orcas Island women are in similar situations.

“Summer’s gangbusters! There are jobs everywhere!” one client exclaims, noting that during past summers she and others have worked 2.5 jobs to save up for the coming winter, working as much as 40 days straight.

One mother of three said her husband is working full time, but they are living paycheck to paycheck, and missing a week of pay for Christmas put them behind. Sometimes she must decide whether to pay bills or buy groceries. On those days, she pays the bills and then stops by the food bank.

“I don’t go unless it’s a necessity,” she said, although sometimes she shows up “for the hot lunch and community” without picking up any groceries.

The McPeakes

Lina and Dave McPeake remember coming to Orcas in 1984, when residents numbered around 1,800. Soon after, they noticed a sign at the Library Fair for the food bank, and began to volunteer and then to orchestrate the bank.

How it all started

Before the McPeakes ever moved to the island, Lina says, a newlywed couple came to honeymoon at a relative’s Orcas cabin. They were startled to find the cupboards completely devoid of food. When they realized that all the stores were closed for the evening, they visited Emmanuel Episcopal Church and phoned the minister at that time, Johnson West. West showed up at the church and offered the couple cans of soup he found in the church cupboards, and from then on Emmanuel began keeping extra food around for anyone who might need it.

Soon the food bank moved to a vacant room at Airport Center. In those days they saw between 15 and 20 families, including some single folks who were sleeping in their vehicles. A few years later, they needed to move. OPALCO offered the use of a garage, and later a storage building. The McPeakes say that the Lions Club put in a floor for them. The Kiwanis added a loading dock, and Paul Garwood of Island Hardware helped them put on a new roof.

“It’s always been the people,” Dave said. “We just pass out the food.”

Lina added earnestly, “There is nowhere on earth that is as generous as this community, because it all comes from their hearts.”

How to help

A volunteer is needed to drive to Bellingham once a month to pick up a pallet of food weighing 1,300 pounds. The loading takes five minutes.

A dedicated PR advocate is needed to focus on getting the word out in the community. Larry says there are folks on the island who don’t even know Orcas has a food bank.

If anyone is interested in volunteering at the food bank, contact Volunteer Coordinator Maggie Kaplan at 376-5372.