The Ben B. Cheney Foundation’s relationship with GoodRoots Northwest, formerly known as the Bonney Lake Food Bank, started in 1983 and continued into the early 90’s when we joined forces with them on various capital improvement projects.
In 2022 the Foundation recognized the potential for a greater partnership with the organization, now under the leadership of Stacey Crnich, who prioritized a dignified experience, an abundance mindset, access, and nutrition above all else. Through two catalytic gifts in a three-year period, the Foundation demonstrated the power of philanthropy’s ability to provide flexible funding that can help nonprofits scale and grow in critical moments of their evolution.
Crnich took the helm as the food bank’s Executive Director in 2020, but did not let the unique challenges of that particular year keep her from dreaming of new ways to reach and serve food deserts in Pierce County. Instead, she and her Board moved forward with their plans. They renovated and renamed the food bank, calling it The Market and changed the name of the entire organization to GoodRoots Northwest in recognition of the fact that they served families beyond the city of Bonney Lake.
Two years later, GoodRoots came to the Cheney Foundation with a request for a grant to support technology enhancements that would elevate their Market inventory management system and support their locker pilot project, an innovative approach to providing food security in rural communities. They had just received funding from the Pierce County Council to pilot a refrigerated locker bank (comparable to Amazon lockers) but needed the additional technology support to give life to the project.
Among the barriers that may prevent families from accessing the food support they need, a lack of transportation and the cost of fuel do impact families struggling to make ends meet. For those who do have transportation, limited food bank hours of operation can still complicate their access to these resources, particularly if the access is only during traditional working hours.
To remedy this, GoodRoots targeted several Pierce County locations that would benefit from refrigerated locker systems: Orting, Carbonado, Wilkeson, South Prairie, Bonney Lake and Buckley. Their pilot program with the lockers met the community’s needs, so the intention was to replicate that locker system across other rural community locations.
With this refrigerated locker system, residents in need of food could use their cell phones to order fresh, nutritious food that would be delivered to their town’s locker at a set time. Upon arrival they use the unique code sent directly to their phone to access the food 24 hours a day, not during specific and often prohibitive set hours. Each locker, built in a safe, secure, public area, could serve 64 households daily after a one-time cost of approximately $100,000 per buildout. When Crnich approached the Ben B. Cheney foundation to discuss the expansion of their locker program, we were very interested in having the conversation.
While the path to nine functioning lockers was met with great support from the community and the likes of Congresswoman Kim Schrier who played a key role in directing $2,000,000 into Pierce County for the expansion of the GoodRoots Locker Network, the mission was also met with challenges. Locations were secured, leases were signed, and the lockers were ordered. As Crnich and her team moved the project forward, they faced a new predicament. Due to regulations the funding was under, the concrete foundations and relevant wiring could not be laid in a timely matter because the use of government funding requires environmental review that would take at least a year. Crnich also knew there were many families who could benefit, immediately, from the services these lockers would provide.
Upon hearing about the year-long delay, the Ben B. Cheney Foundation determined it was an excellent opportunity to back the program, once again. Further flexible financial assistance from the Cheney Foundation to pay for the locker infrastructure allowed GoodRoots to move quickly, accelerate the activation of federal funds toward the lockers, and continue with their goal to expand the locker network as fast as possible. This partnership between philanthropy and GoodRoots highlights the exciting possibilities that are presented when solid, proven innovations are met with flexible funding and community support. Philanthropy has the ability to propel such projects forward with less delay and government bureaucracy, to the benefit of our communities.
On March 12, representatives from the Ben B. Cheney Foundation had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of the ninth locker system located in the historic town of Wilkeson. At this event, Erika Tucci, Executive Director for the Cheney Foundation, had the pleasure of retelling the story of how the two organizations, the Cheney Foundation and GoodRoots, found success through a timely and exciting partnership. At the conclusion of Tucci’s speech, she announced that GoodRoots Northwest would be the first community partner to receive a special Ben B. Cheney Foundation 50th Anniversary gift of $50,000, the first of eight such gifts that will be distributed in 2025 in honor of founder Ben B. Cheney and five decades of service where the Cheney Lumber Company once operated. These gifts will be distributed to select long-term Foundation partners and new innovators in community service.
Since the installation of the Locker System, more than 6,000 orders have been processed providing more than 20,000 meals for rural, food insecure households. Community feedback has been positive, too, as locker recipients have expressed appreciation for the safe, nutritious, and accessible alternative for receiving food support. GoodRoots Northwest has the goal of reaching a total of 13 locations through this locker system by the end of 2027 and has expanded its services to include two Pierce County college campuses, reaching another faction of our community that can benefit from this type of service. You can learn more about GoodRoots, The Market and the GoodRoots Locker Network at: GoodRoots.org.
