The Cove food bank in Twisp saw a significant increase in need due to impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Cove will celebrate its 23rd birthday on May 6 with a public open house from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be cookies, coffee and tours of the new facilities in the former Riverbank building on Glover Street in Twisp.
The Cove opened its doors as the Methow Valley Food Bank on April 23, 1998, sandwiched between Antlers and the Glover Street Market in the original KVLR radio studio. It began by providing short-term assistance of supplemental food to individuals and families. In 2000, The Cove was granted nonprofit 501(c)3 tax status.
During that era, The Cove expanded its programming to include the Guardian Angels and Aid and Assistance. Neighbors Helping Neighbors became an outreach of The Cove, building Jamie’s Place and Mountain View Family Care Centers in Winthrop, and acquiring the Cove II office space and warehouse. In the past several years The Cove also absorbed the Friday Food program, serving needy school-aged children in our community with a package of nutritious food to take home every weekend.
Jamie’s Place eventually became its own entity, Guardian Angels has moved to Methow At Home and the old Cove space got too small. That space was sold, and The Cove purchased its new home in late 2020, consolidating its activities to one single campus at Glover Street and Third Avenue.
The food bank serves an average of 60 households (130 people) per week, supported by local donations of cash and food, as well as food from Northwest Harvest and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), distributed locally by the Okanogan County Community Action Council.
