For Brian Bonlender, a visit to Spokane last month was a reminder of his old stomping grounds on the east side of the Cascades.
The Yakima native and Washington State University graduate has been serving as director of the state Department of Commerce since early 2013. His one-day excursion to Spokane was one of many stops he makes throughout the state in the course of a typical year. In addition to meeting with SNAP officials on Jan. 13, Bonlender gathered with representatives of the Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium in Liberty Lake.
While Bonlender now lives in Seattle, his journeys take him to historical places like the cavernous state armory building that now houses the SNAP Home Repair program on Second Avenue in downtown Spokane. Completed in 1908, the space known as “the Armory” was home to the Washington National Guard for many years before it became a concert and dance venue.
These days, SNAP employees at the building talk on the phone and in-person with clients about everything from a weatherization project that will improve energy efficiency to installing a wheelchair ramp that will allow a senior with disabilities safely in and out of a home. Bonlender received the grand tour of the Armory last month, including the basement space where stacks of doors and windows await installation in homes across greater Spokane.
“SNAP is a versatile agency and provides numerous services to families and those in need across the greater Spokane area,” Bonlender said. “It was a pleasure to visit with staff and learn more about the day-to-day work in the community.”
The SNAP contingent that shared conversation and a sandwich lunch with Bonlender included CEO Julie Honekamp, Housing Services Director Chris Davis, Community Action Program Administrator Carol Weltz, Financial Stability Director Kerri Rodkey and COO Lucy Lepinski. Along with staple programs like energy assistance and home repair, Bonlender learned more about SNAP’s efforts in the area of financial literacy, including free classes and counseling in credit building and money management as well as a thriving micro-enterprise program that supports aspiring entrepreneurs.
“I was very impressed with the extent to which SNAP was involved in tying together community and economic development,” Bonlender said. “SNAP and other Community Action agencies are an intricate part of communities and the work they do help strengthen the skills of folks in poverty. The programs SNAP runs so effectively are critical to serving the needs of individuals and helping them remain productive members of their communities and achieve personal goals for themselves and their families.”
Honekamp said it was an honor to have Bonlender set aside time to visit and ask questions about SNAP’s efforts to enhance financial stability for residents of Spokane County.
“This was a special way to kick off our 50
th year as the area’s Community Action agency,” she said. “Having Director Bonlender here to learn more about our work was a privilege and I know all of us are extremely grateful to him for taking time out of a very demanding schedule. It was a great lunchtime discussion.”
