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“Without a doubt, volunteering at the market and serving on the board has been the most rewarding community service experience I can imagine,” Mike Bresko shared. Mike joined the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank Board in early 2020 and has served as the Board Chair since January 2022.
Mike has supported the food bank through significant changes over the past five years. His leadership through the pandemic, operational improvements, the facility expansion project, and leadership transitions has been a constant pillar for the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank community.
“Guided by our mission and values, and supported by government officials, community members, and the remarkable dedication of the entire IFCB team, I am incredibly proud that we have been able to meet the significantly increased demand for nutritious food for individuals and families, emergency food and supplies for unhoused individuals, and access to resources and case management,” he shared.
In the past few years, the number of individuals accessing services and the frequency of visits has increased rapidly. As our team has worked hard to meet the rising need for services in our community, Mike has offered valuable guidance and encouragement.
“Our operations and programs team, with only seven members, has been able to keep up with a 110% increase in the number of people accessing market shopping and emergency food services just since I joined the Board,” Mike said. “But what really blows me away is the amazing improvement in productivity. The number of team members has increased less than 20% per year in 2023 and 2024 thanks to a commitment to improving workflow, an unbelievably hard-working team, and to our many dedicated volunteers.”
Mike and his wife Debbie have been integral supporters of IFCB for years, offering their time, talents, and resources to our organization in many ways. In 2022, Mike’s wife Debbie saw a post about the need for neighborhood coordinators for the Issaquah Sammamish Food Project, and thought it was a great idea to get involved as it required just a small commitment of time.
“I am the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and am aware that my dad came to the U.S. as a refugee at a time when it was a little easier to make a living and raise a family, despite having little education. The need for services that the food bank provides is even greater today,” Debbie shared.
“It is gratifying to see both the generosity of our community in helping those with fewer resources, and the gratitude of the food bank clients receiving nutritious food for their families,” Debbie said.
Debbie grew her own neighborhood group, which has since split off into several new groups in the Issaquah Sammamish Food Project. She currently works to onboard new neighborhood coordinators and shares the mission of the food project with people interested in learning more.
In addition to her work with the food project, Debbie coordinates food drive collections from senior communities, and she volunteers at the warehouse. “And I work some shifts at the food bank, enabling me to meet clients and see how much good is done with the food we collect,” explained Debbie.
Mike and Debbie are also involved in their community through volunteering with many other local organizations, including the City of Sammamish Planning Commission, Sammamish YMCA Advisory Board, Washington Trails Association, Jewish Family Services, Eastside Friends of Seniors, and Northshore School District. The couple also serves as volunteer ushers at Village Theater, 5th Ave Theater, and Seattle Theater Group.
When they aren’t volunteering their time, Mike and Debbie spend a lot of time riding their tandem bike, and usually do an organized bike tour every year; they both love working out and playing with their grandkids. Debbie also reads, cooks, and plays Mah Jong. Mike likes eating what Debbie cooks, hiking, cross-country skiing, and training for challenges like cycling 150 miles around Mt Rainier in a day.
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