Every Saturday morning from 8 to 10:30 a.m., the Margie Williams Helping Hands Food Center opens its door, allowing anyone coming through to have their pick of food donations.

Haley Boltz, who co-directs Helping Hands with her mother Crystal, said that before the pandemic, the food center would get around 40 people a week at their sliding door, but now, those numbers have nearly doubled.

“I think it stayed the same,” Boltz said about the rate of clients since 2020. “Not only that, but also just getting the word out there. We’ve had a couple people who say that they’ve told neighbors who’ve told retirement facilities who have told organizations.”

Helping Hands, which is located adjacent to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Baptist Church in Renton, has been around since 2000. Named in honor of Boltz’s late grandmother Margie, the food center caters to anyone who comes to them for food, with no ID or verification of income required.

Shelf-stable groceries, dairy products, vegetables, bread products and meat are available for folks who arrive at Helping Hands. Most of the food comes from Northwest Harvest, but also local grocery stores and even schools. On the day when the Renton Reporter toured the food center, guests were able to take pre-sliced apples that are common in elementary school cafeterias. Donations from the community are also always welcome, although they will not be accepted if they are left outside of the Helping Hands building or the church.

For guests at Helping Hands, everyone must line up outside of the door with a grocery bag ready to go. Once it’s their turn, they enter the building and are directed through a small aisle where volunteers are there to assist, handing the guests their desired food items.

“I’ve had a great day so far, just making everyone’s day, just giving them something to eat and meeting new people,” said volunteer Jay West on his first day at Helping Hands.

Other volunteers on West’s first day included Hazen High School student Kyle Wong, 17, who began volunteering at the food center two years ago. “It was just for my volunteer hours for my school, but then I figured out that it’s pretty fun and cool to do the work here, and the faces, and it makes me happy, so I keep doing it,” he said.

While the majority of the food that’s handed out is supervised by volunteers, Boltz said there’s no limit on taking the bread items.

“Someone could probably take all of that,” Boltz said, gesturing to the bread and pastry items near the door. “I don’t think we would stop them, but I also don’t think one person would take all that. But hey, you know, if they were taking all that I would assume it’s because they need it for a reason, and, no, I’m not gonna ask about it.”

Laura Kinzel has been a volunteer for nearly a year and said that the work at the food center is fulfilling.

“I like seeing the people. I really like just being able to give people things that they really need, truly need,” she said. “I sit at a desk every day, like during my normal Monday through Friday, so this is actually just a nice change of pace and it’s very team-centric and I like that we’re all working together and we’re all working toward one common goal.”

For more information on donating to or volunteering with Margie Williams Helping Hands Food Center, visit mwhh.org or call 425-255-1446. Helping Hands is located at 4519 NE 10th Street in the Renton Highlands.

Many of the food items at the Margie Williams Helping Hands Food Center come from local grocery stores.

The Margie Williams Helping Hands Food Center is named in honor of Margie Williams, who was Haley Boltz’s grandmother. Boltz clarified that her sister is the one photographed with Margie.

The Margie Williams Helping Hands Food Center is part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Baptist Church in Renton. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing