The Story behind Upper Valley MEND
MEND had its beginning in 1983 when the local Ministerial Association decided to begin a cooperative effort to start a community food bank. Eight churches gave support and volunteers to staff the food bank one morning each week. A room was provided by the Community United Methodist Church. Due to an increasing demand for food bank services and a desire to meet additional needs in the community, this effort was eventually expanded to include a thrift store. It was also moved to a new location offered by the City of Leavenworth, and became known as the Community Cupboard.
The Ministerial Association made a decision that in order to carry out the expanded vision of the Community Cupboard, they would need to hire part time staff and formally incorporate as a nonprofit organization. Consequently, Upper Valley MEND was formally incorporated under the laws of Washington State in 1988.
The Community Cupboard is located at 219 14th street in Leavenworth, and consists of a thrift store and food bank. The Cupboard also provides emergency assistance servcies, in the form of rent/mortgage and utility support, transportation assistance,and emergency shelter
A new chapter began for Upper Valley MEND in 1995 when the Board made a commitment and investment in addressing the need for affordable housing in the area. Various options were explored, and in 1998 a local orchardist offered Upper Valley MEND the option to purchase 15 acres of land suitable for development within the urban growth boundary of the City of Leavenworth. The decision was made to establish a community land trust as a way to make home ownership possible for low to moderate-income families.
This effort became known as SHARE Community Land Trust. SHARE stands for Securing Homes on Affordable Real Estate, and uses the Community Land Trust model to provide & secure affordable housing in the greater Leavenworth area. There are currently two SHARE neighborhoods (with 10 homes each) in Leavenworth: Alpine Heights and Aldea Village.
In 2009, the Upper Valley Free Clinic came under the umbrella of Upper Valley MEND. The Free Clinic provides free medical care and referral servcies to residents of the Upper Valley every Monday night, from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. MEND provides administrative support and nonprofit status so the Clinic can apply for funding and grants.
In 2011 the dream of Cornerstone Community Adult Family Home finally became a reailty. Cornerstone is a loving home for 6 adults with developmental disabilities. The vision for Cornerstone grew from a conversation between a couple of local families, both of which have sons with developmental disabilities who wanted their sons to have a supported living arrangement here in Leavenworth. A tremendous grass roots effort eventually lifted Cornerstone off the ground and helped the dream become a reality.
Finally, in the Spring of 2011 Jubilee Global Gifts was gifted to Upper Valley MEND from founders John and Mary Schramm. Jubilee is a fair trade store selling hand-crafted items from developing nations. Proceeds from Jubilee help to support poverty reduction efforts both globally as well as locally.
