WAES in 2020

Some Highlights from the report...

The year 2020 will be one we will not forget anytime soon. This report deals with the year from mid-March through to December 2020, as that is the timeframe for the COVID pandemic, and the time everything changed for WAES and for the world. First, we want to thank everyone who stepped up this year to take on new tasks, donate generously, and support our community every day. We could not have done it without all of you.

In mid March...

1. WAES, as a fully volunteer organization, was immediately impacted by the fact that volunteers over 65 were not allowed to continue volunteering. That took about 90% of our volunteers out of circulation.
2. WAES changed its operation from an indoor, shopping model food bank to an outdoor transactional model.
3. We quickly learned that we needed to hire a person to manage the food bank. 
4. WAES had to respond to a massive increase in need from the outset of the pandemic.
5. WAES also decided to stay open more days of the week, and for longer hours.
6. Due to the shutdown of schools and faith organizations our supply of food donations dried up.
7. The Federal Government announced $50M in support for food banks in the spring. We wondered how that would translate down to WAES.
8. WAES saw an average of 2,200 visits per month from April to December 2020, up from an average of 676 per month in 2019.
9. WAES has tried hard to keep people safe, which means we are more transactional that we were in the past.
10. WAES added a delivery service to shut in seniors at Eagle Manor. 
11. As time went on WAES required more and more space to be able to carry out our mission.

Costs increased by 75% and our donations increased by 100% versus 2019. This allows us to
continue into 2021 doing the best we can to support our community.

* Check out all the 'FIRSTS' listed at the end of the report.

Read the full report, available for download below.