We are making Ballard Food Bank stronger and more responsive to the needs of our community. The thousands of people we serve deserve a better, bolder Ballard Food Bank. They need a place where they can access food and other services like housing information, medical care, and veterans’ benefits – all under one roof. We can be that place.

Did you know: Ballard Food Bank’s Home Delivery program ensures that over 100 homebound individuals in our community have the same access to healthy, nutritious foods as our neighbors who visit our grocery-style food bank? Thanks to this program, mobility challenges or the onset of a severe illness does not prevent our neighbors from accessing foods that meet their individual dietary or cultural needs.

We recently welcomed a new partner to our Community Resource Hub! Community Psychiatric Clinic (CPC) provides outpatient mental health and substance use recovery services and sees clients weekly in the private offices available to our partners in the Hub. CPC joins our rotating list of partner providers seeing clients regularly at the food bank...

Most people assume our clients visit just for food, but in reality, food is just part of our mission. Recently I was giving a tour to a long-time donor who stopped me and said, “Wow, I had no idea. You do so much more. You help people in ways that I didn’t even know.” She wasn’t the first person to share that thought with me. The fact is the issue of poverty is complex. Which is why when we look at our mission we realize we need to dig deep and help our clients with a two-pronged approach.

It starts with the belief that food is a basic human right.

“No matter where you are from, we’re glad you are our neighbor”

In January, a volunteer brought in a sign that shared this sentiment in English, Spanish and Arabic. We immediately hung it on the wall as I felt the statement reflected what it means to be ‘neighbors helping neighbors’. At first I thought it was a simple gesture...