If you need equipment and supplies to stay warm this winter, please call or stop by the Food Bank. Depending availability, these items can be provided:
Sleeping Bags
Tents & Tarps
Blankets
Backpacks
Jackets
Hats & Gloves
We rely on donations from our community and partners to meet the demand of those living without permanent shelter.
Learn About us
our History
The Stanwood Camano Food Bank provides assistance to more than a thousand community members. With the help of our generous donors, we provide a wide variety of food, as well as pet food and basic toiletries to those in need. This generosity translates into essential assistance to children, seniors, working poor, single adults, homeless, and families of all backgrounds.
The Stanwood Camano Food Bank mission is made possible by the generosity of our wonderful community. First, are the hundreds of volunteers who, each month, provide about two thousand hours of service. Second, the food bank rescues hundreds of pounds of produce, dairy, and bread from grocery store partners. Third, many generous individuals support Stanwood Camano Food Bank by donations to both the Food Bank and the Thrift Store.
Jeanie Ovenell, founder of the Stanwood Camano Food Bank and Thrift Store. Jeanie started the food bank in the 1970’s and the Articles of Incorporation were signed in October 1981 becoming the official Stanwood Camano Food Bank Services.
With this tremendous community support, the Stanwood Camano Food Bank serves over 1,500 families per month, distributing over 1,000,000 pounds of food.
our Mission
Stanwood Camano Food Bank provides resources and connections to alleviate hunger and meet the basic needs of individuals and families in our community.
our Vision
Stanwood Camano Food Bank envisions a community where hunger is defeated, and basic needs are satisfied.
Help us reach our vision
Meet Our Hardworking Staff
Vacant
Executive Director
Emily Goodman
Operations Manager
Wendy Foster
Donor Development Specialist
K-Lee Azure
Food Bank Coordinator
Liz Leffler
Thrift Store Manager
Leila Swier
Volunteer Coordinator
Vacant
Programs Coordinator
Rachel Fisk
Thrift Store Assistant Manager
Maggie McLaughlin
Warehouse Coordinator/Thrift Store Cashier
Board of Directors
Kelly Ruhoff
Prior to starting her professional career in real estate, Kelly spent 23 years in the media industry, beginning in radio before transitioning into newspaper journalism. She retired as editor of Stanwood Camano News in the fall of 2015. Joining the Stanwood Camano Food Bank board, gives her the opportunity to keep in touch with the community she wrote about for years – to not just tell people’s story – but to help alter their outcome.
Myra Reinhardt
Vice President & Branch Manager Coastal Community Bank in Stanwood and Camano Island. My connection with the Stanwood Camano Foodbank is a constant reminder of our amazing the community and how fortunate I am to I live, work, and volunteer here. I continue to be inspired by those that come forward to share their time, talent, and treasure to benefit our neighbors who are in need.
Laurette Simmons
Laurette Simmons, PhD, of Camano Island, has had a varied career starting off with teaching math at Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogota, Colombia; and subsequently, at a middle school in Texas. She speaks three languages fluently, including Spanish, Greek and English. She earned an MBA and worked a short time as a facilities manager at Southwestern Bell before going back to school for her PhD. She taught information systems at Loyola University in Baltimore for 20 years and is now an emerita professor. After retiring early, Laurette earned her second master’s degree in teaching English as a second language and taught at Howard College in Maryland. This was her favorite teaching job since she was able to help many students get their first jobs in the U.S. Laurette’s son moved her granddaughter to Seattle, hence her rapid relocation to the beautiful Pacific NW. She has volunteered in many places including at the Seattle Rep Theater and Meals on Wheels (Camano Island), but has found the Stanwood Camano Food Bank Services to be the most rewarding, especially when she is able to help a Spanish speaker explain their needs. She and her husband split their time between Camano and Seattle but are extending their time on Camano Island more and more.
Naomi Wark
Naomi Wark retired to beautiful Camano Island in 2013. Without the pressures and time-constraints of the work-day and raising a family, Naomi focused on finding a balance in pursuing her interest in writing and her desire to share her time, talent, and treasure with the Stanwood-Camano community. One of her main goals was to join a writer’s group. Her involvement with like-minded, serious, writers through the Skagit Valley Writer’s League, pushed her to complete her long-worked-on novel, Wildflowers in Winter. She is busy at work on its prequel, Songs of Spring. When she is not volunteering or writing, Naomi enjoys gardening, cooking, and gathering the bounty from their small vegetable garden. Besides the Stanwood Camano Food Bank, Naomi is active in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, through St. Cecilia Parish, which assists families in our community with financial aid and a listening ear. In her earlier years, Naomi worked primarily in the accounting and bookkeeping field, but also owned a travel agency whose clientele included many Seattle Mariners from the 1995 team, including Ken Griffey Jr., and Jay Buhner. Naomi spent ten years working for Clowns Unlimited as SPROUT, performing both as a clown and a balloon artist for birthday parties, corporate picnics, Christmas parties, other company events.
Randy Serroels
Randy has over 35 years of experience in medical device Engineering and Operations management. Giving back to the community is an important part of his life. Randy has been a United Way Campaign chairman, a member of the University of Washington Bothell Business Advisory Council, and has served as an officer and board member of Imagine Housing. Randy has been a resident of Camano Island since 2004, and believes that helping meet our community’s basic needs is fundamental to a vibrant and prosperous community.
Terrence Bedford
Like most people that work for insurance companies I stumbled into the insurance industry. While working for GuideOne Insurance I met Scott, Sue and Jim at Thomas and Associates Insurance. Once the stars aligned, I was able to come on board as an agent in 2017. I love working with customers and making sure they have the coverage they need. Hobbies: Golf, Bow-Hunting for Elk/Deer, Running. I am also active in my church, Rotary and The Breakfast Group, a Non-profit in Seattle that provides mentoring to youth in Seattle. I joined the Food Bank board because I can’t think of anything more important than eating healthy food. It’s an honor to serve and hopefully help someone avoid going hungry.
Paula Thomas
With 30 years of cross-functional achievements across a wide range of sectors and companies from Fortune 500 to small businesses and startups, Paula brings a broad perspective to the Stanwood Camano Food Bank Board where she is passionate about contributing to the organization’s next phase of growth, having served as a volunteer for the past 8 years. Her career expertise spans business development, consulting, marketing, and technology innovation, having spent most recently 16 years at Microsoft US and 5 years abroad in various leadership roles. A resident of Camano Island for 22 years, she currently works part time as an Advisor for Pivotal Consulting on the Microsoft account where she brings her global industry experience to various teams and key stakeholders. As a former teacher in her early career, she is passionate about mentoring students and currently volunteers as an Advisor for the UW Foster Business school coaching teams and local businesses. In 2018, she enrolled in the Executive Women’s Board Program at UW to add to her service portfolio and previous nonprofit board experience from Catch22Market, a Seattle start up, from the Society for Information Management Seattle, and from Retail Orphan Initiative, California. With an entrepreneurial spirit, she has a track record of helping businesses navigate through multiple stages of growth, and as such she is thrilled to give back and serve on this board where she can contribute to helping the Food Bank accelerate to “best in class” status in our amazing community. Outside of volunteering and work, Paula loves organic gardening, culinary arts and traveling with her husband to her favorite places in France and Italy.
Steve Dulaney
Bio Coming Soon!
Mike McFarlan
Bio Coming Soon!
Paul Dressel
In 2018, Paul retired from Wells Fargo Private Bank ending a 39 year banking career. He and his wife, Brenda, moved the same week from Bellevue to their home on Camano Island. In addition to financial experience, Paul brings community service experience to the Board Member role. He was a Bellevue Rotarian and served on the boards of the Greater Northwest Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Imagine Housing, and The Washington State Soccer League. Paul is honored to have the opportunity to join the Stanwood Camano Foodbank Board in service to our community.
Christine Russell
For Christine Russell, people come first. “Integrity is at the core of all that I am and do,” she said. “I have led a successful career in sales because I listen. I care. I lead.” Christine served as events director for the Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour at Paine Field in Everett for seven years. She is now a licensed real estate broker for Windermere on Camano Island. She said she thrives in environments that include multi-tasking, pressure and negotiation. She was born and raised in the Puget Sound region and likes to immerse herself in culture, natural surroundings and adventure – especially travel. She achieved her rescue diver certification through National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) after more than 3,000 scuba dives in the cold waters of the Salish Sea. Christine lives on Camano Island with her husband, Michael. “We absolutely love the overwhelming abundance of community support the island, Stanwood and the region offers.”
Barb Athanas
Barb looks back on her career in three segments that shaped who she is today. She owned a florist shop in Mill Creek for 10 years. “I built a thriving business that I found was not only profitable but so very rewarding,” she said. “Flowers are an amazing representation of feelings, caring, celebration, empathy and connection.” As her business grew, the city did as well and she was invited to join the Rotary Club. “Another growth journey that brought me closer to community and people: ‘Service Above Self,’ the motto of Rotary.” It was her involvement with the organization over 17 years that evolved into beginning and operating a food bank where she managed a staff of volunteers for two years. “Therein lies my passion for our food bank here,” she said. Barb has been a broker with Windermere Real Estate for 23 years – the last year on Camano Island where she now enjoys her home. “The life tools I have learned on this journey have been priceless and I know I am in the right place,” she said. The motto she lives by is treating all people with Integrity, truth, kindness and trust; guiding principles that continue to serve her well.