Celebrating 30 Years of Service
ShareNet began as a food closet at Bayside Church in 1993, meant to serve the needs of struggling church members. Bayside quickly realized the need was much larger than expected. Bayside purchased a trailer for the church parking lot to serve anyone who showed up. Word quickly got out, and the trailer itself was soon overwhelmed.
In 2007, ShareNet moved to a larger location and opened a thrift store to help fund the food bank.
The move was well-timed because in 2008 ShareNet’s client base doubled, then went from 2,000 annual services to over 12,000 in just a few years, increasing every year for most of the next decade, topping 24,000 individual services in 2018.
ShareNet decided to become an official food bank, ensuring it met the criteria for membership in the Washington Food Coalition, the Kitsap County Food Bank Coalition, Northwest Harvest, Food Lifeline, and state and federal programs. Participation in these networks increased our paperwork, but also leveraged the assistance we can provide to our community. Through these networks, ShareNet became the registered food bank for northernmost Kitsap, serving Kingston, Hansville, Indianola, Port Gamble, Eglon and Little Boston, as well as some border addresses in Poulsbo and Suquamish.
As Bayside Church became a leaner operation with fewer employees, the time became right for ShareNet Food Bank to become an independent 501(c)(3) organization. We are deeply grateful to all the folks at Bayside who contributed to creating and operating ShareNet over the years.
We now provide the greater Kingston, WA area with emergency food provision, and screened emergency power and rental assistance for clients faced with service interruption notices or eviction. ShareNet Thrift Store continues to support the food bank and provides clothing vouchers for food bank clients. Food2GO , our weekend backpack program, has provided portable nutritious food to schoolchildren in need at all Kingston public schools every scheduled week of the school year for over a decade now. ShareNet’s board and staff work in cooperation with other organizations supporting those in need of our services.
ShareNet operates with compassion, respect, and inclusivity at the core of our values. We embrace diversity and strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that recognizes and respects the unique needs and backgrounds of all individuals.
Staff
Mark Ince, Executive Director
Amy Phillips, Operations Manager
Board Officers
Denise Henderson, President
Rae Holt, Vice President
Kathy Raymond, Treasurer
Christine Anderson, Secretary