Stephanie Norton-Bredl has been hired as the new executive director of the Issaquah Food Bank. Her hiring was announced in a statement on May 3.

Norton-Bredl has over 19 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector, including the last five on the Eastside. She spent the last three years as executive director of the Snoqualmie YMCA.

Her hiring comes as the food bank has seen record numbers of shoppers at its market each week, said Steve Wilcox, the food bank’s communication coordinator.

“The Eastside is often viewed as relatively affluent, but inflation, reductions to SNAP [food stamp] benefits, and the end of COVID-related benefits have combined to create unprecedented demand for food services,” he said.

In a statement, Norton-Bredl said she is grateful for the warm welcome and looks forward to exploring opportunities for growth and deeper partnerships.

“I’ve witnessed the growing need for services and have been impressed with the responsiveness of our community to serve our neighbors,” she said. “This organization and the compassion of our volunteers and donors epitomize what it means to be a community.”

The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank was founded in 1971 and serves about 6,000 people each year in Issaquah, Sammamish, Newcastle and East Renton.