K Bramstedt, director of the Aberdeen Community Food Bank, is seeking help from the community as she searches for a suitable new location to replace the organization’s structurally unsafe, city-owned location at 306 1/2 North I Street.

Earlier this year, city officials met with Bramstedt after inspecting the mostly brick building and told her the building was unsafe for occupation.

“In February, I met with the food bank to discuss options for the future,” said Stacie Barnum, Aberdeen parks director. “We had our building inspector and public works director inspect the building, and they felt it was losing its structural integrity, and it would be best to not have it occupied.”

She said Mayor Erik Larson has asked the food bank to find a new location and the city would work with them on the transition.

“We understand the food bank is a vital service to our community and they have limited funds, so we wanted to work with them as much as possible,” said Barnum.

Bramstedt said the food bank has operated rent-free since 1980 — when it opened in the old armory building on the corner of East 3rd and North I streets, which currently houses the Coastal Community Action Program — paying only for phone service, insurance, refrigeration upkeep and food supplies. The city also paid for electric, heating, yard maintenance, garbage service and the property taxes on the locations. She said the city has informed her they do not have the funds to repair the current location and do not have another suitable city-owned building to move in to.

“The food bank was given use of the building at no charge back in the early 1990s,” said Barnum. “With no income from rents or leases, there was never a reserve fund built up for future repairs.” She added the building was given to the city by the Swanson family in 1985.

Barnum continued, “Because the building is shifting and falling, there are large voids in the walls that rodents have been coming in through. We have hired Terminex to deal with the issue — and in fact have had them there for about a year now — and it has improved. But having food in a large building with large openings for rodents is not a good idea.”

Bramstedt wants to make sure the community knows there are no hard feelings between the food bank and the city about the request to vacate the building, and in fact is grateful for the years they have had operating out of city-owned buildings and how city officials have handled the current situation.

“There are no hard feelings with the city,” she said. “They have given us so much leeway in how fast we move out.”

Bramstedt is reaching out to the community to find another location.

“We are looking for a central location in Aberdeen that doesn’t fall within the floodplain; is not subject to toxic fumes or waste; preferably has a garage door-width entrance for ease of deliveries; available parking for clients; a ground-floor, no-stairway entry for ease of handicap access and deliveries; sufficient square footage to carry out services; and electrical sufficiency or ability to add for refrigeration needs,” she said.

Bramstedt said she has been looking at various vacancies in the area, but because funds are very limited she is hoping someone within the community will come forward with a suitable space with little or no rent, or perhaps a shared space.

“I am putting the word out to see if somebody in the community wanted to share a space or owned property that may fit our needs,” said Bramstedt.

The city has not given the food bank a specific time to move out, but Bramstedt says Coastal Harvest and Northwest Harvest — which supply food — is urging them to find a new location as soon as possible.

“In the last 10 years we have served 57,547 families with food needs in our community which is 176,007 people fed by our services through assistance from Coastal Harvest, Northwest Harvest and governmental and state commodities,” said Bramstedt. “Though we are not the only one serving our community with basic food needs and education through workshops, recipes and nutritional information, we would like to continue to serve our community in this needed way for years to come.”

Bramstedt said anyone who can assist with finding a new location for the food bank can call her at (360) 581-8169 or email her at bramst1@aol.com.