MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOUNDATION RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE BNSF RAILWAY FOUNDATION

Making A Difference Foundation (MADF) has been awarded a grant in the amount of $2,500 from BNSF Railway Foundation for the Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank Capital Remodel project.

Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank continues to see a great increase in the number of people experiencing hunger and needing food assistance. The current food bank location is on McKinley Avenue in the eastside neighborhood of Tacoma. It has been in the same building since it first opened in 2009 which is no longer spacious enough to serve the one million pounds of food being given away to the 59,000 people coming to the food bank per month. The new location, just down the street from the original building, will allow the food bank to operate more efficiently and continue to serve the increased need.

The food bank remodel project includes a new HVAC system to replace the nonfunctional boiler, new wiring and lighting, new refrigeration, shelving and furnishings, and the reconstruction of the building’s entrance to offer a waiting area with a coffee bar. Ahndrea Blue, MADF’s President/CEO, states, “By raising the capital to complete this remodel project we will be able to go from serving five people at a time, like we are at our current location, to serving fifty people at once. This is really significant, especially for clients who cannot stand in the line, that oftentimes goes around the block, in the heat, cold, or poor weather. All capital funding, such as this grant, isn’t just helping us complete the building, but ensuring that no one is turned away or leaves before they get the food they that need.”

Making A Difference Foundation’s vision for the Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank is to end hunger in Pierce and South King Counties by removing all barriers to accessing healthy and culturally relevant food and doing so with respect and divinity to all. All food provided is for free to those experiencing hunger or food scarcity. It is currently open 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM Tuesdays through Saturdays at 3543 E. McKinley Ave, Tacoma. For more information about the program, visit MADF’s website at www.themadf.org or call 253-212-2778.

The BNSF Railway Foundation’s mission is to “support and help improve quality of life for thousands of communities across the 28 states where BNSF operates, primarily across the Midwest, Southwest and Northwest regions of the U.S. As one of the largest freight railroads in North America, BNSF Railway is focused on making a difference in the communities where our employees live, work and volunteer. The BNSF Railway Foundation is our company’s main vehicle for charitable giving.”