Work progresses at The Hunger Coalition’s Community Food Center

BELLEVUE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) - The Hunger Coalition in Bellevue has seen an increase in people needing food since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hunger Coalition saw more people in the month of April than they did in all of 2019.

“It was certainly pretty alarming,” said Kristin McMahon, the communications and development supervisor. “It certainly proved how vulnerable our community already was. We had talked about how 1 in 3 people before the crisis were food insecure or one crisis away, and now we are seeing that crisis and it is sending so many more people to our lines.”

The coalition wants the community to be involved in the process, which is why it is renovating a building across the street for the new Community Food Center.

“We are building a community kitchen in there,” McMahon said. “There is going to be community led meals. People can come together and have a lovely meal maybe through a cooking class led by your peers. People will be able to come and sit down for a nice homemade meal.”

The goal for the new building is for the community to be more involved in the process — from farm to table.

“It will just be so cool,” McMahon said. “One minute you can be harvesting beets from the greenhouse and then the next minute you can be slicing and dicing them with your community members and then enjoying them together.”

Construction started on schedule and on budget, and they hope to open the Community Food Center in the beginning of 2021.

“It’s going to be a place for everyone, no matter what your passion is, we will be here to share good meals together,” McMahon said.

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