Season of give and take begins at Helpline

A small closet at Helpline House is designated for kitchen-less cooking items. An assortment of noodles, in the Ramen-genre, fills a box. The implication is distressing and begs the question: Are there homeless people on Bainbridge Island?

“I’m not going to say that there aren’t,” Becky Peddy, Helpline House lead volunteer, said discreetly.

Thankfully, most of the 250 or so families who use the Helpline services are not in such dire need as that. They do have homes; most even have jobs, sometimes even two. But they often have kids, or disabilities, or other circumstances – recently laid off – where they find it difficult to make ends meet.

For some, an occasional load of groceries or a jacket to wear to an interview makes a big difference. For others, the nonprofit is a lifeline without which they couldn’t survive.

Peddy, who has been volunteering for a decade, has seen an increase in the number of folks walking through the doors.

Unlike many agencies, Helpline does not ask for proof of income to receive benefits. First-time visitors are never turned away, but repeat visits do require a utility bill or some kind of proof of residency.

“We take the stance that everybody who walks through the doors, needs to be here,” she said.

A woman winds a small cart around the perimeter of a small room stocked with groceries. About four years ago, Helpline developed a “self-shopping model,” which means clients make their own selections from the available stock that day.

“It’s more dignified for them,” she said. Once a week they can select protein-based items such as milk, cheese, or meats. Peddy, a certified nutritionist, often counsels clients on how to make nutritious choices from the available selections and helps with dietary restrictions as well. While the nonperishable staples make up the majority of the available food, more and more donations are perishable fruits and vegetables.

Peddy also used to work in the restaurant business, and that experience comes in handy this time of year.

“I was saying just yesterday, that the outpouring of this community never ceases to amaze me,” she said.

She and volunteer Sue Lukins worked away in the 600-square-foot barn that serves as a staging area for the steady stream of food that has been making its way to Helpline’s doors.

Far and away the most generous donor is Town and Country Market. “They have such high standards of freshness and their donations benefit us greatly,” Peddy said, adding that Safeway’s new manager has been extremely generous.

Then, there are the school-organized efforts such as the recent food drive at Ordway Elementary. Third-grader Dusty Grogger, 8, participated in the food brigade that hauled bags of food to Helpline Tuesday.

“We collected so much food, some of the bags broke while we were walking,” he said.

Project Wishbone, Helpline House’s largest food drive of the year, kicks off Saturday. Donations will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Helpline House, 282 Knechtel Way, for Thanksgiving food such as fresh and sweet potatoes, rice, chicken broth, onions, gravy mix, vegetables, sparkling cider, fresh or frozen pies, butter, juices, nuts, and salad dressing. Turkeys are always needed, and since freezer space is limited, gift cards for turkeys or produce from local grocery stores are also appreciated.

The shelves are well-stocked already with canned varieties of cranberries, pumpkin, yams and sweet potatoes, and stuffing mix.

Sign-ups to receive Thanksgiving boxes started Nov. 2 and will be accepted through Wednesday.

Lukins has spent the last month accumulating vegetable boxes in which to pack the more than 250 dinners that will need to be processed in less than five days.

On Sunday, Bainbridge Boy Scouts will hold their annual food drive on behalf of Helpline as well. All in all, it’s a perfect example of Helpline’s motto: Neighbor helping neighbor.

For more information, call 842-7621 or visit www.helplinehouse.org.

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