Lazarus Naturals Donates Food, Funds, and Time!
What makes a good neighbor?
A good neighbor looks out for others, shares in abundance, and has a genuine interest in the wellbeing of those around them. So many of our local businesses and community groups exemplify what it means to be a neighbor helping neighbors.
They are amazing neighbors to us. We recognize and deeply appreciate their efforts to improve the wellbeing of all who live in our community. Often, they hit what we call our trifecta of support: Food, funds, and time.
Funds are our biggest need right now. Any amount helps as we can bulk buy and prioritize most-needed items. Giving your time and volunteering makes our entire world go round. We have around 35 staff members and we could not serve 10,500+ households across our programs without our strong base of volunteers.
One group of neighbors has really been intentional this year about hitting each part of the trifecta. Our neighbors up the street at Lazarus Naturals join in our mission to bring food and hope to folks by dropping off fresh seasonal produce from their garden, volunteering about once per quarter onsite at Ballard Food Bank, donating funds, and hosting re-pack events at their office for staff to participate in.
What does our partnership with Lazarus Naturals look like?
A natural medicine company hailing from Oregon with a satellite office in Ballard – Lazarus Naturals is proud of their purpose over profit model. They have an assistance program so their products are accessible, a goal to be carbon neutral by 2030, and a precedent for working with nonprofit organizations in their neighborhoods. So it’s no surprise to see them plug into our work with so much enthusiasm.
The team poses outside by our mural after finishing their second onsite volunteer event
They have about 50 people in their satellite office near Ballard Food Bank. Though this partnership has existed for many years, their Office Manager, Sue Baker, breathed new life into it alongside our Community Engagement Specialist Jee Hye Kang.
Sue once relied on food banks and raised her kids as a single mom. She is passionate about this partnership and really wanted to leverage Lazarus Naturals to do good on behalf of Ballard Food Bank.
They’ve hosted many repack events in their office totaling 360 pounds of food donations. They also set up boxes and encourage customers to bring in our most-needed food and hygiene items to donate.
With Sue’s green thumb, they revived a beautiful garden in front of their business. In this urban landscape, they’ve impressed us all with their peaches, nectarines, figs, elderberries, corn, cayenne peppers, and jalapenos. In total, they donated over 76 pounds of fresh produce from their garden. These are great examples of how they donate food.
Around once per quarter, they’ve rallied 5-15 of their staff members to head down the street to our Hub for Hope to volunteer their time on a Friday – when we’re closed to the public. Once in our space, we work together to clean the market and cafe, pack shelf stable items in Home Delivery bags that go out the following week, stock shelves, and repack bulk items into smaller portions. This is how they give their time.
Groups up to around 30 can join us onsite to volunteer their time
And as part of the onsite volunteer opportunity, they meet our suggestion to donate a minimum of $1,000 to the food bank. By sharing in their abundance, they complete the trifecta with their donation of funds.
I spoke with Anita Loomba, Senior Director of Marketing, about their donations of food, funds, and time. She shares, “Our roots are here and we've seen firsthand the impact that Ballard Food Bank has had on the community, not just with providing food, but also, you know, with your purpose, dignity and care. So, I'd say for us supporting an organization like that, that's helping neighbors, it aligns perfectly with the mission at Lazarus Naturals, which is to make wellness and support accessible to everyone, regardless of the circumstance. Working with a partner like the Ballard Food Bank just feels like a natural extension of that belief for us.”
Anita reflects on the act of volunteering time as a team onsite at Ballard Food Bank: “Whether it's sorting food, packing boxes, or even helping out the warehouse, those hours really remind us why community matters … it's not just about giving, but it's about connecting. And I think that's where it's become important for us. Working side by side with you guys at the Ballard Food Bank team and seeing the direct impact of that work keeps us grounded in our purpose. And quite honestly it just inspires us to do more”
Through these actions of kindness and generosity, Lazarus Naturals have exemplified what it means to give hope to the community and how to look out for each other. And ultimately, how to be a good neighbor.
Interested in organizing a group volunteer event?
If you are interested in organizing your own group event, learn more information on our website and submit an interest form here. We are currently booking volunteer groups several months out as we are only able to accommodate them on Fridays when we are closed to the public.
The Lazarus Naturals team repacks dry beans during an onsite volunteer event