Recent Whidbey Island Bank Community Challenge Helps Put Us Over The Top Of Our Goal

A total of $31,240 was raised during the recent Whidbey Island Community Challenge to benefit the last push for Good Cheer's Capital Campaign. ($21,240 in community donations, plus a $10,000 gift from Whidbey Island Bank.)

We have now reached our goal of $1.4 million which includes donations received, remaining pledges to be paid, and in-kind donations, all thanks to the generous support of individuals, community businesses and service organizations, and regional foundations. (For more infiormation on the capital campaign, visit the campaign page.

Special thanks go to Freeland Branch Manager Anne Bobinac (left above) for spearheading this effort. Anne was aided in organizing the challenge by Langley Branch Manager Pam Bickel (pictured right above), who led a similar, successful challenge last year to benefit the Food Bank. Thank you community, and thank you Whidbey Island Bank!

Good Cheer’s Langley Thrift Store, which has been in continuous operations since the mid-1960s, is in the final stages of a renovation to add an additional 1,140 square feet of retail space, which over time, has the potential to produce up to an additional $71,000 in sales annually --—money which supports the charity’s operations, including the Food Bank.

The renovation also includes installing an elevator for moving items into temporary holding, replacing an old furnace, installing an integrated smoke detector and fire sprinkler system for the whole building, building a fire-walled stairway and exterior exit, new electrical wiring, better insulation for the roof and walls (which should save on utility costs), plus a new display window.

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A joint letter from the Campaign Chair and Board President

Good Cheer Capital Campaign Goal Met Thanks To You

Heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to Good Cheer Food Bank & Thrift Stores’ Capital Campaign, especially those who donated to Whidbey Island Bank’s recently completed Community Challenge, which raised a total $31,240. Special commendations go to Whidbey Island Bank branch managers Anne Bobinac (Freeland) and Pam Bickel (Langley) who spearheaded this effort.

The good news: we have finally reached our goal of $1.4 million which includes cash received, pledges remaining to be paid this year, and in-kind donations.

More than 419 individuals contributed to the campaign with donations ranging from a high of $118,000 to the $1 bill mailed in by a young girl who wanted to do her part. Fifteen foundations made grants totaling $375,000, and despite the tough economy, 26 local businesses and service organizations donated more than $200,000 to the campaign. Members of Good Cheer’s Board opened their checkbooks and donated more than $367,00, on top of many hours of volunteer labor and consultation.

It was a long campaign, longer than we had anticipated. This was due in part to an unexpected and lasting recession, and the passing of two fine gentlemen: campaign consultant Dick Collins and campaign co-chair Jack Hoover. The bad economy resulted in record-breaking numbers of people seeking food assistance, which posed a bit of a challenge as increased funds for food purchases were needed at the same time. (Client numbers remain high, with more than 800 families a month accessing the Food Bank.)

The South Whidbey community proved to be up to this challenge, however, and due to your generosity, the Bayview facility opened in October 2007 during Phase I of the campaign. It houses a regionally recognized model Food Bank for which the entire community can be proud, and is evidence that South Whidbey, indeed, ‘takes care of its own’. Quite frankly, without the new Bayview facility, we could not have met the need – there simply was not enough space at the back of the Langley Thrift Store (the Food Bank’s former home).

After debt on the Bayview facility was paid off in 2009, attention turned to completing Phase II, the renovation of Good Cheer’s flagship funding source, Langley Thrift Store. Though the plans underwent changes in scope, the Langley store now has additional retail space, a new furnace, updated electrical wiring and enhanced firewalls, new interior paint and carpeting, plus a needed back stairwell. An elevator will be installed this autumn, after the busy tourist season.

As anyone who has done a remodel knows, there are always additional tasks which become apparent during the process, which is why, even though the Capital Campaign goal has been reached, we are still accepting donations. If you have been blessed financially, please consider making a donation.

So many people helped with the campaign that space does not permit naming them all, but a special word of thanks goes to Mrs. Marion Henny, Chair of Whidbey Telecom, for serving on the campaign’s ‘kitchen cabinet’ and for hosting an evening fundraiser; to Britt Fletcher and Jim Halfaker for ad hoc assistance; and to Aggie Sweeney and Natalie Lamberjack of The Collins Group, who volunteered time and expertise in honor of their firm’s founder, the late Dick Collins.

Though the campaign is completed, the day to day work of community volunteers continues at the Food Bank, Item Donation/Distribution Center, and the Thrift Stores. We thank you all, and are awed at your dedication to make South Whidbey truly and forever a ‘hunger-free’ community.

Bob Olson,

Good Cheer Campaign Chair

L. Jay Ryan

Good Cheer Board President

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About Good Cheer's Capital Campaign

Good Cheer's Mission: Good Cheer Food Bank’s mission is to create a hunger-free community on South Whidbey. It has helped South Whidbey residents in need since its inception in 1962.

Who Is Served: In 2007 Good Cheer provided food to 2,780 people. In 2008, this number jumped to 4,044, and in 2009, client numbers were once again up: 5,046 people accessed supplemental food through the Food Bank at least once during the year. In December of 2009, 830 households came to the Food Bank. Clients include the unemployed, single mothers, seniors, the chronically ill, the physically and mentally disabled, displaced homemakers, homeless teens and families, and increasingly, the working poor.

Due to the high cost of living on South Whidbey, Good Cheer assists many families where either one or both parents are employed, -- the working poor. According to the U.S. 2000 census, in Freeland alone, about 10% of families and 12% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over. Many clients only access the Food Bank for a short time while others rely on it year round.

Why Good Cheer Is Unique: Good Cheer has for decades has operated differently than other food banks. It conducts itself as an enterprise “company” using a community thrift store as its source of operational funding rather than relying on governmental grants/programs and general fundraising for financial stability.

Good Cheer is a self-sustaining nonprofit charity through the successful operation of its two thrift stores. These stores recycle a high-volume of still-usable donated goods while providing low-cost clothing, furniture, and housewares to low-income families.

Also, unlike many other food banks in the state, Good Cheer Food Bank is open at least seven hours a day, six days a week and even provides home delivery to house-bound seniors and the disabled.

A search for other similar programs has not turned up a comparable self-sustaining food bank operation in terms of scale and hours of operation in western Washington. Good Cheer is the only food bank for the south end of Whidbey Island.

This successful and replicable funding approach has caught the interest of other food banks in the Northwest. With the improvement of facilities, Good Cheer will offer information to other organizations interested in this model of client services and operational sustainability.

Good Cheer provides an important non-duplicated service to the community, without relying on federal, state or even county tax monies to support it.

Volunteers Are The Backbone: Good Cheer enjoys wide community support. Over the years, hundreds of local residents have served on the 15-member volunteer Board of Directors, with many times that number serving as volunteers in the thrift store and the food bank.

Good Cheer currently has more than 470 local residents signed up as volunteers. For working people, especially those commuting off island, Good Cheer offers a Tuesday evening “work party” from 5 to 8 p.m. which has become very popular.

Church groups and service organizations also sign up for evening work parties. People of all ages, from local daycare students, to middle and high school students -- all the way up to 90-year-old+ volunteers (currently there are five) volunteer at Good Cheer on a regular basis.

Needs Statement: South Whidbey is growing in population, yet the annual average wage in Island County is lower than many parts of Washington state.

Costs for housing and general costs of living are increasing, which placed greater demand on Good Cheer at a time when its facility in Langley, built in the 1930’s, was showing its age. Food Bank storage space was maxed out, and the retail area had no room to expand since the building also doubled as Good Cheer’s donation receiving, storage and prep facility.

Parking was difficult to find, and food bank clients had little anonymity as they rolled their food carts through the thrift store and out the front door to their car or to the bus stop.

The retail area, which provides the financial foundation of all Good Cheer community services and the food bansk, was hemmed in due to the space required for item donation intake, processing, and sorting areas.

Action needed to be taken to position Good Cheer to remain sustainable for the future.

A Plan to Position Good Cheer for Decades to Come

After considering all their options, the Good Cheer Board decided, in October 2004 that the best concept was to relocate the Food Bank to a new site, and the building committee began actively looking for space and considering building options.

In addition, building schemes were done for remodeling the Thrift Store building in Langley with attention to better “retail” usage to support the nonprofit organization.

During early 2006 studies were conducted on fundraising, building designs and detailed space use plans. After a one-acre site was purchased in Bayview, unexpectedly, the Masons organization approached the Good Cheer Board with an offer to sell their 14-year-old building just two properties away. It was an offer too good to pass up. The first property was sold to another party, at a profit for Good Cheer, and the 4.18 acre piece and the 3,986 square foot facility was purchased.

The former Masonic facility was easily adaptable to Good Cheer needs and required only minor modifications to make it usable not only as a food bank but also as a thrift store “receiving and sorting” workshop.

Moving this workshop from Langley to Bayview has enhanced the operations of the Langley retail facility, thereby increasing Good Cheer earnings for more food purchases and services to those in need of assistance.

With the advent of this new “nearly ready to go” building, the project was moved quickly forward. Phase 1(a) renovation began April 3, 2007. The workshop area was completed June 1, 2007, and at that time all donated items to be sorted and prepared for sale were transferred from the Langley Thrift Store. Volunteers were instrumental in making this a smooth transition. Volume of donated goods received and process has already increased.

Now that the the Food Bank has been relocated to the Bayview site, preparations and permits will be generated to carry out the second important phase of the campaign: renovating and expanding the retail areas of Langley Thrift Store and bringing it into compliance with building and ADA code with the installation of an elevator.

Renovation will also allow more efficient moving of retail goods to the new second floor retail spaces. The more items that are sold, the greater the amount of funds for food purchases.

The second phase of the Capital Fund Drive provides for renovation of the Langley Thrift Store, which is a major funding source for Good Cheer.
An elevator will allow access for disabled and elderly volunteers.
Retail space will be increased, leading to increased revenues through sales.
New merchandise departments will be added and existing ones expanded.

This first-ever capital campaign will position the 49-year-old community charity to continue fulfilling its mission, and even serve as a replicable model for other community food banks in the state and region.

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