Three and a half years after starting Whidbey Island Angels in her own home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cindy Buchanan never imagined she’d be able to help people in such a large space.

The grassroots nonprofit organization recently moved to a new location, which can be viewed during an upcoming open house 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1705 E. Main St. in Freeland. People are welcome to come have coffee and cake and learn about how the Whidbey Island Angels resource center is helping those in need in the community.

From the very beginning, Buchanan has relied on a network of volunteers – whom she refers to as her Whidbey Island Angels – to keep the organization running. Visitors to the resource center can find fresh produce and a wide array of clothing for all ages and sizes, among other things.

The organization also fulfills a number of unique requests, such as pet owners that need help caring for their animals or workers looking for a way to get to their jobs. Buchanan said Whidbey Island Angels helped reunite a mother with her young son, who had been separated from her and was living in dangerous conditions in Mexico.

“For a little organization, we do a lot,” Buchanan said.

Volunteers donating their time, money and skills help keep Whidbey Island Angels afloat. In 2021, the organization’s center of operations moved from Buchanan’s home in Clinton into its first official location in Freeland. But space was limited there.

Luckily, Whidbey Island Angels was recently able to move a few doors down to a much larger space. When Libby and Larry McCauley of Clinton-based L&L Properties heard the Angels were running out of room, they purchased a bigger building and rented it out to the organization at an affordable rate.

“We really like to see the concept of the neighbors helping neighbors on the Rock,” Libby McCauley said.

Now there is ample room for the freezer, refrigerator, shelves for food and clothes for all ages in the 1,600-square-foot resource center.

“People can walk through now without knocking things down and get just about anything they need,” McCauley said.

Buchanan estimated that about 200 people visit the resource center on a weekly basis. People come from all over the island, from Deception Pass bridge to the Clinton ferry terminal. With a handful of dedicated volunteers, she runs Whidbey Island Angels in addition to her full-time job at the Goose Community Grocer and her own cooking and cleaning business.

“It’s real tight running the ship, but we get it done,” she said.

From day one, Whidbey Island Angels has operated with a no-questions-asked system. People seeking help often may find barriers difficult to overcome, such as paperwork. That is not the case with Whidbey Island Angels.

The resource center is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Email whidbeyislandangels@gmail.com or visit the Facebook group Whidbey Island Angels for more information.

Donations of cash, checks, Cash App ($whidbeyislandangels), PayPal (CBuchanan984) and Venmo (whidbeyislandangels2) are all accepted.