FAQ

APOYO now uses annual membership cards for families or households. When you come to APOYO, you become a member. When you come each time, we will ask you if you have received an annual membership card for your household. If you don't have it with you, you only have to tell us that you already have one. We do not store names or personal information in a database.

APOYO strives to offer generous portions of food to everyone who needs it, but it is becoming more difficult for us to get enough food. We ask that each family or household take only the food they need. We are all in this together, and by helping each other, we can help our whole community! Except in special circumstances, we can't distribute food for people who don't come to APOYO. If you have a friend or know a family that needs food, but can't get to APOYO, please talk to us to make arrangements.

Due to Covid-19, we cannot let everybody into our warehouse the way we used to. We ask that no more than three people come in at one time during food distributions. Please wear a mask if you or anyone you spend time with has experienced symptoms that may indicate Covid-19 infection.

Are you interested in learning more about what it means to be a non-profit organization and how it works? Please visit our Introduction to Nonprofits document, available in English and Spanish.

To become a regular volunteer, you will need to read our volunteer handbook and sign release forms at our office. When you arrive, you will sign in and get instructions. When you leave, you will need to sign out. Also, you will need to wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes when you help at APOYO. Please visit our volunteer page.

Our distributions take place Wednesdays from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. (We ask volunteers who want to help to come a half hour before these distributions and to plan on staying about a half hour after). We need help unloading our truck from Northwest Harvest every Wednesday around 10:00 a.m. We need help loading our cargo van on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 - 12:00. We also need volunteers at events and help with fundraising and other projects. Visit our volunteer page for more information.

APOYO is on the campus of Central Washington University at the corner of Brook Lane and East 18th Avenue. We are across the street from the entrance to Brooklane Village Apartments and McElroy Park, just east of the CWU Challenge course. Just go to the end of 18th Avenue and we're on the right. Our office is in the old garage, and the food pantry is in the house. If you need a map, please see our contact page.

Our food distribution records from 2022 show we provided just over 350,000 pounds of food in 2022. From July to December, 2022, we assisted approximately 450 households with food needs. In 2022, we received WSDA Flexible Funding and Resiliency grants, which have enabled us to buy a cargo van, hire a food delivery service coordinator, and provide food to people in Grant County at APOYO pick-up points.

Most of the food we distribute comes to us from Northwest Harvest's Yakima warehouse. The WSDA's Emergency Food Assistance Program enables us to buy some additional food and pay some of our operational expenses. Since 1998, Central Washington University has given us space on their campus from which to distribute food and clothing in exchange for the educational opportunities we provide. We receive donations from many generous community members, churches, and businesses. We have received grants from the Group Health Foundation, Yakima Valley Community Foundation, United Way of Central Washington, Puget Sound Energy Foundation, the Kittitas County Public Health Department, Harvest Against Hunger, the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture that have helped us expand our outreach and provide more services.

APOYO is a registered 501(C)(3) organization. Our tax ID is 91-1970470.

You may donate online through this website. We also accept donations by mail to: P.O. Box 194, Ellensburg, WA 98926. Please contact us at 509-201-1820 or email apoyocommunity@gmail.com with your questions about giving.

Absolutely! APOYO serves anyone in the community who needs food, clothes, or household items. At APOYO, everyone who visits is a member of our community.

If you are taking a course that requires a quarter-long project such as a research paper or a hands-on project that deals with any aspect of what APOYO does -- from warehouse management to fundraising to graphic design to advertising -- we might be able to work with your professor. Creative writing projects, art projects, cultural research projects of any kind, studies in multicultural education or nutrition or food security or social justice are all possibilities. Naturally, foreign language students and ESL students are welcome. Share your ideas with us!

Professor Bernadette Jungblut works with students to bring internship proposals to our board. Graduate studies can also be arranged. If you are interested, please contact her. We would love to hear how you can help!