SNOQUALMIE, WA— With the closure of the Snoqualmie Tribal Campus to visitors and non-essential employees, and the closure of the Snoqualmie Casino, a joint team moved quickly to sort, package and deliver over two thousand pounds of fresh produce and dairy from the casino’s five dining venues to community organizations that are servicing families facing hardship.
The organizations that received the donations include:
Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank
Chief Seattle Club
Union Gospel Mission
LightHouse StoreHouse
“In the middle of this unprecedented health crisis we must all work together to see to the needs of the people in our communities,” said Snoqualmie Tribal Chairman Robert de los Angeles. “While we are doing everything possible to help our Tribal members and employees, we are also aware of the needs of the greater community and want to help where we can.”
“We are so grateful to community members like the Snoqualmie Tribe and Snoqualmie Casino who are always mindful of the needs of our neighbors,” said Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank Executive Director Nikki Lloyd “This health crisis has created a true financial emergency for many families,’” Nikki added, “Each week the number of families we are serving grows, creating an immediate need for an increase in donations.”
Further food donations are planned as the Tribe is working to source 4,000 frozen meals for Snoqualmie Valley organizations that provide support to local families in need over the next several weeks.
In addition to food donations, the Snoqualmie Tribe and Snoqualmie Casino consolidated medical supplies at each of their respective locations for delivery to Swedish Hospital in Issaquah and the North Bend Snoqualmie Police Department. Over 5,000 masks, 1,000 pairs of gloves and 500 containers of disinfectant wipes were among the supplies donated.
“Although we have suspended the casino’s daily operation to support the community effort towards social distancing, we are proud that we are able to directly contribute to the communities’ recovery from COVID-19.” said Snoqualmie Casino Interim CEO and President Stanford Le.
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is a federally recognized tribe in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Known as the People of the Moon, Snoqualmie were signatories to the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855. Tribal enterprises provide over 1,700 jobs in the Snoqualmie Valley, and the Snoqualmie Tribe has donated more than $10 million to nonprofit organizations in Washington State since 2010.
– Image description:Food packaging by Snoqualmie Tribal Members and Staff
Image courtesy Snoqualmie Indian Tribe
