“What if we took the focus off ourselves and truly helped other people? Perhaps the world would be quite different. I do not claim I am the solution, nor is Hope Creek the solution to the world’s problems. However, we can make a difference. Everybody can play their part.”--Tom Sweeney

This is how Tom Sweeney describes his approach to his new role as the Executive Director of Hope Creek Charitable Foundation, which runs the Mill Creek Food Bank. Tom brings his experience of over three decades of dedicated service in community development and nonprofit leadership. Prior to moving to Washington, Tom was the Principal at the School of Extended Educational Options, a charter school in Pomona, California. “We started with 149 students, and ten years later had 1235 students,” Tom explains. “These kids from broken homes, some who were homeless, and many suffering from anxiety and depression, completed high school on their terms, at their pace, often through non-classroom-based instruction programs.”

Over the same ten years as Principal in Pomona, Tom co-founded and led Gods-Pantry.org, helping over 200 individuals from underserved populations find employment and healing by distributing free groceries to over 2500 Los Angeles County families every month. The experience helped fuel Tom’s lasting passion for programs and services focused on meeting the needs of the community.

Reflecting on his retirement from education and his move from California to Washington, Tom explains, “My wife is a nurse and worked here in a hospice during the pandemic. Afterward, she missed the area and took a job with Providence in Everett as a hospice nurse and case manager. For me, the opportunity to join Hope Creek and the Mill Creek food bank was fantastic.” He adds, “I'm living the dream! There's so much beauty here, everything is green and fresh, and the people are so friendly. I live close to the food bank and our church, and my mother-in-law lives independently with us in our new home.”

Since beginning his new role in October last year, Tom has already started a program for 15- to 24-year-olds, drawing on his experience helping kids beyond high school. “In California we obtained funding to provide safe housing--one building for young men and one for young women. From there they could transition to the workforce or continue their education at a local  junior college,” he explains. “Here, we’ve already been approved as a worksite for Snohomish Connect (SnoCo), part of the workforce development initiative in the state that hires Transitional Age Youth (TAY) whose parents might be on some type of government assistance. Then we partnered with AARP and Title V for seniors aged 55 and over who can get job retraining and work experience through Hope Creek.”

One influence on Tom’s thinking and practice is the book Reinventing the Food Bank and Food Pantry by Dr. Katie Martin, published at the end of the pandemic. He supports her finding that the goal is to go beyond giving people food to help navigate the system or obstacles that hinder progress. The hope is to train up volunteers to become life coaches, and for some in the line to become volunteers and eventually life coaches themselves. “I might say, here's some groceries. I'll see you next week, will you be willing to share your story?” Tom says. “Dr. Martin found some people in the line find a life coach who can help them recover their role in society. You help them navigate their difficulties and set smart goals. Our volunteers build these relationships through their consistent presence. Over time, these conversations can be life changing.”

A current priority for Tom is a 12-step training curriculum to equip his volunteers to be life coaches. “It doesn't cost a lot of money. And some of the people on the line will make the best coaches themselves,” he continues. “I learned from God’s Pantry that people who have been on the line, or young people who have been through the process, make some of the best coaches.”

Tom’s passion for the community and caring for its people is clear in his goals for his roles at the Hope Creek Foundation and Mill Creek Food Bank. “I will continue the good work that is already being done and build on the solid foundation established,” he concludes. “I’m committed to working closely with the community to demonstrate our care and support. Once people see how much we care, they will feel connected, and once they feel cared for and connected, they will truly feel they are part of a community.”