Staff and leadership attend City Council meeting in search of permanent home for Community Cupboard
Upper Valley MEND has been looking for a new, centralized location for all our programs for some time. However, finding a suitable space in Leavenworth has been a challenge.
After 35 years of uncertainty and temporary leases, Upper Valley MEND's Community Cupboard may finally have a chance to permanently secure its home in Leavenworth.
The timing couldn't be more critical—in 2024, the food pantry served a record-breaking 1,300 households and has stretched its current space to its limits.
MEND may have an opportunity to purchase the land where the Cupboard is currently located from the City of Leavenworth. This would allow us to expand the Cupboard and consolidate most of our services into one ADA-accessible building. Currently, our programs are scattered across four locations and a storage unit throughout Leavenworth.
This would make a huge difference for our community.
But before this can happen, the City of Leavenworth would need to find a new home for its Public Works facility, which shares the property with the food pantry.
The good news? The City of Leavenworth may have that opportunity soon, thanks to an agreement with the PUD. It could turn out to be a win-win-win for the Upper Valley.
The advantages of a new location for MEND
On January 14th, seven members of MEND's staff and board attended the Leavenworth City Council meeting in support of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and Chelan County PUD.
(Stay with us—this sounds complicated, but it has a big impact.)
The MOU, which was approved unanimously by the Leavenworth City Council, allows the City to explore the feasibility of relocating the City's Public Works facility to property the PUD owns behind the Chelan County Fire District #3 Station on Chumstick Highway.
If the City moves their public works department, it could open the door for MEND to purchase its current location, where the Community Cupboard has served the community for over three decades. The Community Cupboard is located on a corner of the current Public Works site on 14th Street.
If the City decides to move, MEND’s vision is to expand the Community Cupboard, and co-locate the food pantry with an ADA-accessible hub for most of its services.
The MOU provides 6-18 months for the City to explore the idea. Whether or not the City decides to relocate, MEND intends to continue to search for a permanent home for its services.
"We've known for a long time that it’s in the best interest of our clients and the community to consolidate MEND's services into one space," said Kaylin Bettinger, MEND Executive Director.
The food pantry is stretched thin and strapped for storage. Das Thrift doesn’t have space to sell all the items that are donated. MEND’s current offices require people seeking help with rent or a utility bill to climb two flights of stairs to talk with someone about financial assistance—a huge barrier for elderly people, people with mobility challenges, and families with young kids in strollers or car seats.
Plus, as Leavenworth continues to become more expensive, our rented spaces become more expensive. We risk being priced out of the community. Owning our building will allow MEND’s services to be stable into the future.
The MEND Board decided in 2016 to start saving funds each month for a future home for Community Cupboard. But the search has been unsuccessful so far. Land is scarce, and what land is available is too close to the tourist center, not zoned correctly, too expensive, or too far away from public transit.
"We've been looking around at all of our options for the Cupboard’s location and where we are right now is really the best possible outcome for our clients and the community," Kaylin said.
While the City explores moving its public works buildings, MEND will continue to explore potential sites that arise. In the meantime, MEND continues to serve the Upper Valley community through its various programs while planning for a future that better serves our community.
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Email any questions or comments to info@uvmend.org.
Read more about the City’s move in this article from NCW News.