What's Happening in Lacey, WA…

The Lacey Food Bank is one step closer to reality after two recent donations.

Employees of the City of Lacey recently donated $5,400 toward the food bank's creation, and on the same night, Robert Coit, the Thurston County Food Bank's executive director, revealed that the state has made $750,000 available as part of its budget.

The receipt of the money should enable the food bank to open sooner, Coit says, because organizers can focus on getting permits, rather than having to continue fundraising efforts.

Although no dates for construction have been announced, it is expected the first items to be built will be a farm stand and victory garden, with a building comprising 10,000 square feet for the food bank to follow later. The proposed facility will be at 7027 Martin Way East, which was purchased for $600,000 by the Thurston County Food Bank.

The site is 1.5 acres in area, and is long and narrow. Plans call for the farm stand to be on Martin Way, with the food bank proper behind that, and the victory garden at the back of the lot. Veterans will tend the garden, with Garden-Raised Bounty (GruB) overseeing the project. The food bank itself is in an unincorporated part of the county, but will serve residents from throughout Lacey and the area.

Issues like this affect people communitywide, so officials might work with a flyer printing company to create a mailer for residents about the project.