SEDRO-WOOLLEY — With the sun shining and temperatures creeping up, it can be easy to forget about social distancing, quarantines and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The face masks, gloves and uniforms worn by members of the state National Guard, as they loaded boxes of food Thursday from the Helping Hands Solution Center into a growing number of vehicles, are a stark reminder that while progress is being made in the battle against COVID-19, the war is far from over.
As the state enters another week of a shutdown in light of Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, members of the National Guard were deployed to Sedro-Woolley last week to assist Helping Hands meet a growing demand.
Inslee announced March 31 that National Guard units would be deployed to communities to assist food banks.
“We’re here to show everyone we care,” said Captain Dustin Baxter, who leads a unit of eight men. “I want everyone to see us out here and feel at ease to know that there are people out here that care about you and we’re trying to make things easier for you.”
The request for assistance from the National Guard was made by Helping Hands on April 7, and guardsmen from throughout the area began trickling in a couple days later, said Master Sgt. Eric Baillie.
By Monday morning, the eight men were packing boxes of eggs, beans, pasta and as much fresh meat and produce as possible, and delivering those boxes from Marblemount to Anacortes.
“We’re here to support whatever they need,” said Baillie.
The men assigned to Helping Hands are from Skagit, Snohomish and Island counties, Baillie said.
Baillie has served 32 years in the National Guard, as well as six in active duty with the Air Force, he said.
When activated, guardsmen traditionally come from within 50 miles of the requesting agency. For Baillie, that makes this mission important.
“Having the opportunity to jump in and help out my own community is awesome,” said Baillie, who lives in Alger. “It’s why you join is to serve and help out your own community. There’s nothing better.”
This is Baillie’s second Skagit County deployment, he said. The first was during the floods of November 1990.
Serving during the COVID-19 pandemic is the first activation for 20-year-old Alan Dent, who grew up in Sedro-Woolley and has been a guardsman for three years.
Growing up, his family utilized the food bank, so he understands the importance of the job with which he’s been tasked, he said.
“Giving back to the community is really nice,” Dent said.
At the request of Helping Hands, another 12 guardsmen arrived Friday, said Erik Larsen, operations manager for the food bank.
“We realized that 90% of our volunteers were perfect targets for this virus,” Larsen said of the need to call in the National Guard for assistance. “We needed additional, consistent help so we could continue to serve our community.”
The additional bodies are also giving the food bank more options when it comes to where it is getting its food, Larsen said. Because of the pandemic, only one local grocery store has continued to work with the food bank, officials previously told the Skagit Valley Herald.
More guardsmen mean the food bank can go to places that sell in larger quantities, such as Smart Foodservice, Larsen said.
“They’ve given us the manpower to continue our operation and assist other food banks,” he said. “At this point, we are covering most of the community.”
Helping Hands has been distributing food in the Food Pavilion parking lot in Sedro-Woolley for nearly a month. Distribution is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.
There is no sign-in and anyone who comes will have a prefilled box of food placed into their car by a guardsman.
As time has gone on, the lines have gotten longer, Larsen said, and Helping Hands staff are serving members of the community they haven’t seen before.
“We’re just trying to help out as many people as we can,” he said. “We see a need and we go where the need is.”
Sedro-Woolley High School freshman Israel Arreola has been preparing for emergency situations such as this for years.
Three years ago, the 15-year-old became interested in disaster preparedness and has been taking classes alongside those such as Larsen.
“It’s been my passion to help,” he said.
Much of that education has focused on what to do in case of natural disasters.
“This is one I wouldn’t have seen coming,” he said.
Still, Arreola has been at the Food Pavilion every Monday and Thursday helping distribute food to his community.
“It feels good,” he said. “Knowing that I helped put food on their table tonight, I think that’s what keeps me coming back. It’s amazing knowing that we helped.”
Helping Hands has received help from other places as well, namely through donations.
For example, Baillie said, a manager at a local store noticed him in the store in his National Guard uniform and has been bringing the guardsmen lunch.
Skagit Transportation in Mount Vernon donated and delivered about 10,000 cardboard boxes, which keeps Helping Hands from having to buy them, Larsen said.
“The community has stepped up and helped a lot,” he said.
The National Guard is scheduled to stay in Sedro-Woolley through the end of April, a point of concern for Helping Hands Executive Director Rebecca Larsen.
“If they leave we will not be able to support all the other food bank locations,” she said.
Helping Hands has requested help in keeping the guardsmen here, Rebecca Larsen said.
“We are hoping they see the impact the National Guard is making here,” she said.