by Rick Rhoads
Orcas Island Food Bank
“Our island community’s need for services far exceeds our ability to meet them,” said Lisa Byers, executive director of OPAL Community Land Trust.
The acquisition of the Pea Patch property is envisioned to serve as a nonprofit campus for the Orcas Island Food Bank, the Orcas Community Resource Center and 20 supportive housing rental homes to be built by OPAL.
According to Byers, this will be “a huge step forward, where people can have most of their needs met in the same location and nurture and help one another.” She says the project will continue to foster ways to “bring the small-town, ‘neighbors helping neighbors,’ nature of Orcas into the next generation.”
The 11-acre property at 55 Pea Patch Lane is adjacent to the Orcas Christian School, Funhouse Commons, Children’s House, Salmonberry School, Kaleidoscope, Senior Center and Orcas Island Fire & Rescue. It is near more than 80 existing OPAL homes and is close to Orcas Center, the airport, the Christian School, and the Orcas Island elementary, middle, and high schools. Byers pointed out that the campus can become a hub to facilitate collaboration with these organizations on programs and events.
Hilary Canty, executive director of the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) envisions this campus as a “place to grow connections and build networks.” She continues, “Imagine rewilding the wetlands on the property to create a walking path for education and enjoyment.” Amanda Sparks, executive director of the Food Bank, gave another example: “Imagine seniors teaching cooking for our community using produce from the garden utilizing the commercial kitchen and food forest created at the new campus.“
All four executive directors see the centrally located campus as critical to preparing for a coordinated response to emergencies supported by its location to close to the airport and OIFR, a newly approved FEMA drop off point. Sparks explained that OIFB is planning a facility that can store enough food to help sustain islanders for two or three months. She elaborated, “An earthquake could knock out all food channels to the San Juans. We already have a network to distribute food; It’s what the Food Bank does best.”
Erin O’Dell, executive director of the Resource Center, noted that together we are building community and strengthening the fabric of our safety net. With more than 10% of Orcas Island households living below the poverty line and 40% not earning enough to make ends meet, many of our neighbors are forced to make impossible decisions. The Resource Center serves as a vital partner to connect our Islanders with the services to navigate any obstacles they may face in retaining housing stability.
OICF acted quickly to raise funds from islanders, who enthusiastically stepped up. Together with donations from community members and a Land Acquisition Program loan from Washington State, OPAL took ownership in December 2023, and will own and steward the land in perpetuity for the benefit of the island community.
A Pea Patch Steering Committee, consisting of board members and staff of OIFB, the Resource Center, and OPAL, has been established to coordinate the project. Although it will be at least five years before the entire Pea Patch project is complete, the process for site and building designs are ramping up. This spring there will be a series of community design workshops to gather input from the community for design of the campus.
State Representative Debra Lekanoff, who walked the Pea Patch property during her September 2023 visit to Eastsound, is an enthusiastic supporter of the project. The Washington State Housing Trust Fund recently awarded OPAL a $10.6 million grant to support building the OPAL housing.
OPAL, the Resource Center, and the Food Bank are excited to engage the community in this project — please stay tuned for updates and opportunities to participate.
