{"id":232,"date":"2025-01-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/council\/?p=232"},"modified":"2025-01-30T19:17:10","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T19:17:10","slug":"welcome-to-the-pacific-northwest-college-food-locker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/council\/2025\/01\/30\/welcome-to-the-pacific-northwest-college-food-locker\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to the Pacific Northwest College Food Locker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The first climate-controlled food locker on a college campus in the Western United States opens on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Bates Technical College\u2019s South Campus in Tacoma.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On Jan. 23, 2025, Pierce County marked a significant milestone by becoming home to the first climate-controlled, 24-hour access food locker on a college campus in the Western United States that provides healthy, locally sourced food to students who struggle to afford meals due to school costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food locker is located at the Bates Technical College South Campus in Tacoma and provided by GoodRoots Northwest, a local non-profit organization addressing food insecurity by connecting rural and underserved areas with fresh, locally sourced food through a climate-controlled locker network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the old starving student trope,\u201d said Stacey Crnich, CEO of GoodRoots Northwest. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. This locker ensures students have consistent access to nutritious food, without stigma and without barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GoodRoots Northwest has seven food lockers in six cities and towns in East Pierce County, most operating in food deserts, which are communities \u2013 especially those with limited transportation options \u2013 struggling to access nutritious food consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food lockers operate like a PO Box, only the box is a network of climate-controlled lockers where people can pick up their food orders. People can order food from the website or app, select a location near them for pick up, and pick it up once it\u2019s delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bates Technical College location is the first closed ordering system, only available to students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we talk about coming out of the pandemic better than we went into, this is what we\u2019re talking about,\u201d said Pierce County Council Chair Jani Hitchen (District 6). \u201cThis innovative thinking about how we create better systems is at least one good thing that has come out of the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Emergence of Food Lockers in Pierce County<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first food locker opened in 2023, right in front of The Market at the Bonney Lake Food Bank \u2013 which later became GoodRoots Northwest \u2013 providing 24-hour access to food from a food bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started my job at the Bonney Lake Food Bank 10 days before the [COVID-19] pandemic hit, 10 days before the lockdowns. I spent a lot of hours inside that building in the first two months cleaning and sterilizing and, you know, dumpsters upon dumpsters of expired food,\u201d said Crnich. “I started noticing that people were circling the building at all hours, and I started thinking more of just like the psychology of being without a basic human need and how it changes who you are and your actions and your behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During those pivotal times, Crnich and her forward-thinking Board of Directors envisioned a radical solution. Within six months, the Bonney Lake Food Bank transitioned from a traditional food bank to a farm-to-table location in the most literal sense, growing food there on the campus and then putting it into circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food bank also partnered with local farmers during this time, expanding its reach and impact and supporting farmers\u2019 ability to get their products to people. The customer service team at GoodRoots Northwest used texting to communicate with customers about food availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food locker concept came shortly after that, but it was met with skepticism. A chance encounter with Pierce County Councilmember Dave Morell (District 1) helped Crnich secure $174,000 through the Pierce County Council to fund a pilot program and show its potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe access these lockers provide is critical,\u201d said Morell. \u201cFor a single mother who can\u2019t leave work to get to the food bank between 1 and 4 on a Wednesday, it makes a big difference. Having access 24-7 is a game changer for those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a 2022 letter to the U.S. Congress Committee on Appropriations, Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08) requested $2 million for the Food Bank, writing, \u201cThis program will invest in greenhouse infrastructure to allow for year-round food production, which will lead to lower food purchasing costs and increase food security resilience. Additional investments in smart lockers will keep food fresh and safe for family pickups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bonney Lake Food Bank received that $2 million grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GoodRoots Northwest later amended the budget to buy from growers, essentially guaranteeing they could pay for their own greenhouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMom\u2019s microgreens, [a local farm], was able to rely on $52,000 in orders a year from us. With that, they were not only able to secure larger greenhouse space but were able to sell that business and buy the Rainier Fresh Country Store in Buckley, Washington,\u201d said Crnich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Food Locker Program Expands in Partnership with Industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, a food locker opened in front of that same Rainier Fresh Country Store. In what was described as a community-centered move by community members, the owners agreed to install a GoodRoots Northwest Food Locker in front of their store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see this as a risk,\u201d says Patrick Brown, owner of Rainier Fresh Country Store, about placing a free food locker in front of his establishment. \u201cGoodRoots Northwest has a wide distribution, but not always deep. We have a deep distribution, but not always wide. With this, someone can order free food resources through GoodRoots and then come into our store and shop for items that weren\u2019t available. It gives our neighbors options, and I\u2019m happy to support it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crnich and the Browns hope to foster greater resilience in Buckley and surrounding areas by offering an alternative that integrates directly with local infrastructure. What that looks like is still to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe partnership between GoodRoots Northwest, Rainier Fresh Country Store, our food banks, colleges, and other local supporters is an example of how diverse groups can unite to create scalable and sustainable solutions,\u201d said Morell. \u201cBy drawing on each partner\u2019s expertise, resources, and networks, they can broaden their reach and establish trust within the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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