About 10,000 emergency food boxes are packed each week by 30 members of the National Guard at the Northwest Harvest warehouse in Kent.
The Guard unit works eight hours a day, according to information released Monday by Northwest Harvest. The Kent Reporter website first reported last week the use of the National Guard at the warehouse. The unit started April 6.
Northwest Harvest set a goal to distribute 80,000 emergency food boxes each week from its warehouses to food banks. The 80,000 boxes contain approximately 800,000 meals for families.
After much consideration, Northwest Harvest officials said they thought bringing in the National Guard looked like the safest, most effective, most efficient and most scalable option during this crisis.
Northwest Harvest is a nonprofit food bank distributor operating statewide with a network of 375 food banks served from several warehouses, including one in Kent since 2007.
Many volunteers that support food banks and warehouses are seniors and are in the at-risk categories for Covid-19, creating a severe staffing shortfall while demand for food assistance goes up, according to the National Guard.
Gov. Jay Inslee approved the National Guard to help with food distribution at food banks and warehouses during the crisis.
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