While approaching the North Whidbey Help House Thursday, nearly everyone greeted or hugged a small woman sitting in her walker who was referred to as the “queen bee.”

Monte Parker is as big an advocate for the food bank as a recipient, and to her, the Help House is more than just a place to get food. It’s a community hub.

“One reason I come is to get groceries for me,” said Parker, who has been visiting the food bank for the past five years. “The other reason you come is the social part. You come see people in the same situation as you. Years ago, I never thought I’d be standing in line for groceries, but here, it’s kind of fun.”

Parker, an aging Oak Harbor resident who lives in subsidized housing off Highway 20, said that she’s 40 years old, “but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been 40.”

Living on Social Security and food stamps, Parker said the food bank has helped fill gaps in her limited resources.

“My budget is tight,” Parker said. “It means I do eat.”

In efforts to ensure that everyone eats, the annual Feed the Need food drive will be held 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19.

Volunteers will collect donations in Oak Harbor at Walmart, Albertsons and Saar’s Marketplace, and will pass out slips with suggested purchases. A semi-truck will also be parked on the corner of Highway 20 and Southeast Barrington Drive to serve as a drop-off point with volunteers collecting goods.

Eric Mager, deputy director of the Help House, said Feed the Need is one of the biggest donation drives of the year and the food bank relies heavily on its contributions to weather the slow times.

“It means we’re less likely to run out,” Mager said. “It definitely brings in a good amount. The event encourages people to purchase or donate items we tend to run out of.”

In 2014, North Whidbey Help House has handed out 7,843 food baskets that have fed 21,088 nearby residents, according executive director Jean Wieman.

Of those people, roughly 8,000 were children between the ages of 0-18, according to an event news release, and these numbers total around 450,000 pounds of food distributed to local individuals and families.

Some of the most rewarding moments, according to Wieman, are when previous recipients come back to donate.

“People say, ‘You helped us out in 1992, now we can pay you back,’ ” Wieman said. “It’s awesome.”

Wieman said the Feed the Need donations keeps the food bank from having to spend as much of their operating dollars on food that is not donated. Eighty-five percent of cash donations, which go to operations, come from private donors, Wieman said.

“That tells you how great this community is,” Wieman said. “They take care of their neighbors.”

Organized in partnership with United Way of Island County, Feed the Need has now been in operation for several years.

“The event aims to combat hunger by collecting non-perishable food items that will stock the shelves of North Whidbey Help House,” according to an event news release. “The food drive is held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and inspires Americans to volunteer and serve their community with ‘A day on, not a day off.’”

Parker said for her, the Help House provides “a nice, organized way to get groceries.”

Visitors are allowed to pick up produce, bread and dairy up to twice a week, and once a month they pick up a “food basket” with a variety of food items includeing frozen meat, canned goods and “always something sweet,” Parker said.

In addition to looking out for her own needs, Parker said she often picks up food for other people who live in her building with mobility issues.

“It’s hard to get groceries just for myself,” Parker said, and spreading the spirit of good will created by the Help House is just part of the deal.

“If I stop sharing, the good will stop coming,” Parker said. “These guys help everyone, including me.”

For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, contact Julia Williams at willi353@students.wwu.edu