A Boeing strike near the holidays in 1962 prompted a group of friends from St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Freeland to provide toys, food, and much-needed good cheer to their neighbors.

More than six decades later, Good Cheer Food Bank and Thrift Stores is a testament to an innovative mission that has withstood economic downturns and a global pandemic and continues to serve the community.

By 1965, Good Cheer—supported by sales from its flagship Langley thrift store—had shifted its focus to food resources for residents in need. The store moved to its current location on Anthes Street in 1969 and featured its first in-house food bank. In the years since its founding, Good Cheer has grown to two South Whidbey thrift stores—the Langley location as well as a Clinton storefront—and its Bayview Food Bank and Distribution Center. In addition to these landmarks, the nonprofit cultivates over an acre of farmland through its garden program, growing storage and winter field crops that can sustain the food pantry during the off season. Good Cheer also recently launched its Community Connections program at its food pantry, a hub for islanders in need to connect with other resources and to share their stories.

To read more, visit Whidbey Life Magazine.