The genesis of today's Ballard Food Bank is a story of our community's response to the growing needs of our less fortunate neighbors.  It is truly the history of three local service organizations growing and merging  

Ballard WORK (We Offer Referral Know-How)
Established by Winnie Young and incorporated in 1982, WORK originally intended to provide job referral information about employment opportunities.  However they soon learned that other emergency needs needed to be addressed.  WORK administered many job referral programs including a "Ballard Clean Streets" program supervised by WORK and funded by Ballard merchants. Ballard WORK operated out of 1103-B NW Market Street until it moved into the former NW YMCA facility (1708 NW Market) in 1985.                       

North End Emergency Fund
In the early 1980's Randi Hansen and other community leaders established a fund through Ballard First Lutheran Church to assist persons with critical needs.  This effort, called North End Emergency Fund (NEEF), received continuing financial support from several north Seattle churches.  From 1985 through 1988 NEEF continued under the auspices of Ballard First Lutheran Church but was administered by Winnie Young from the Ballard WORK facility.  In 1988 the entire program was incorporated as North End Emergency Fund, a 501 (C)(3) corporation, and remained at 1707 NW Market Street, the former home of NW YMCA.  In March 1992, the program leased its current facility at 7001 – 7005 24th Ave. NW. 

Ballard Food Bank 
The Northwest YMCA established the Ballard Food Bank (BFB) sometime in the late 1970's.  Operating originally out of the NW YMCA office, BFB established new quarters at the Philadelphia Church Youth Building sometime in the early 1980's.

Approximately 1985, when the NW YMCA closed its Ballard office the food bank was in jeopardy.  At that time the North End Emergency Fund (NEEF) agreed to provide operational support and keep the food bank open.  In 1988 Ballard Food Bank became a legal entity of North End Emergency Fund.  In 1992 NEEF and BFB moved to our current location.  In the mid 1990's Ballard Food Bank assumed responsibility for the Magnolia community as well as the Ballard community.

Today's Agency
In an effort to give more clarity to the services provided, the corporation's name was changed to North End Emergency Fund and Ballard Magnolia Food Bank in 2001.  In 2002, due to ongoing identity confusion, the Board of Directors voted to revise the name of the agency from "North End Emergency Fund and Ballard Magnolia Food Bank" to "Ballard Food Bank".  The name change did not involve any other changes in the Articles of Incorporation, By Laws, nor the service programs offered to our constituency.