The Springdale Food Pantry is known for helping families in the small Eastern Washington town. Now the helpers are receiving support of their own from Avista. Since opening, the Springdale Food Pantry has grown to serve as many as 238 people per month. That’s especially impressive for a town with just under 300 people. “It takes a village and we’re that village,” said Sue Uttech, Springdale Boosters treasurer and pantry lead volunteer. “We help with any needs. If we can’t help, we’ll find someone who can.” But volunteers have worked through tough conditions in their old building. Without good insulation or a reliable heating/cooling system, hot summers and cold winters have been hard. “We could see our breath when we were inside working during the winter,” said Krista Wilson, a volunteer and booster board member. “And it was nearly impossible to keep produce fresh long enough to give it out.” That’s changing thanks to help from Avista. This year, the pantry received support through Avista’s Named Communities Investment Fund (NCIF)* and Avista’s energy efficiency rebate programs. They also qualified for Avista’s Small Business Partner Program. A licensed contractor worked with them to learn about their energy-saving potential, identify available Avista rebates and services, provide a project bid, and install the upgrades. By the end of the project, the pantry had improved insulation, added energy-efficient LEDs with light sensors, and installed two new energy-efficient A/C and heating units. Avista’s programs covered the entire cost of the project. “Avista’s help has been beyond a blessing. We are so grateful, and it makes such a big difference,” Sue said. The Springdale Food Pantry’s drive-through pickup happens on the third Wednesday of each month from 3-5 p.m. in Springdale, behind the town hall. *Avista's Named Communities Investment Fund (NCIF) was approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission as part of the company's Clean Energy Implementation Plan (CEIP) to meet compliance targets for the state's Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA, 2019). The NCIF will invest up to $5 million annually in projects, programs, and initiatives that benefit Avista's Washington electric customers residing in historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities (i.e., "Named Communities"). Community-based projects will be selected for funding through a competitive grant application process. Application information and eligibility guidelines can be found at myavista.com/NCIF.
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