Every Wednesday from 10am to 4pm, clients are greeted by the smiling face of Kristen Wittstock. As a front desk volunteer, she plays a critical role in maintaining the smooth operation of the food bank. New families are coming in every day, and Kristen and the other front desk volunteers are often their first contact. “We’re the face of the organization,” says Kristen, who’s volunteered at the desk for five years.
Read MoreMack Aylesworth’s friendly eyes peer over his rainbow mask. This mask is standard garb for him as he holds ‘office hours’ in Ballard Food Bank’s Community Resource Hub. Mack works as a Peer Support Specialist with Peer Seattle, his position made possible, in part, by a grant from King County. Every Monday and Tuesday he does outreach at the food bank. The rainbow colors can act as a silent signal, letting LGBTQ+ folks at the food bank know that Mack is here for them.
Read MoreAt Ballard Food Bank, we honor the responsibility that comes with building and growing on this land. We give thanks to the Duwamish and Coast Salish people, the original caretakers of Shilshole and Seattle. Given our nonprofit status, the staff and Board of Directors have chosen to dedicate the money we save from property taxes to the Duwamish. We are also committed to standing with our indigenous neighbors in their fight for the federal recognition they’ve been denied for decades.
Read MoreKwon Kim is refilling a large metal container with fresh produce in the community market when Grayling Tunney stops to chat with his coworker and friend. They share a laugh before moving on to separate tasks at the food bank. The men are 2 of 46 participants who’ve worked at the Ballard Food Bank through the AARP Senior Community Service Employment Program since 2012.
Read MoreAs we approach the six-month anniversary of moving into our new home, we feel gratitude more than ever for the people who helped us get here - a place that serves our friends and neighbors. Even as we continue to grow, we would like to talk about Betty Barden, a late supporter of the Ballard Food Bank, who was crucial to our campaign for a bigger and better facility.
Read MoreIf you’ve visited our new Hub for Hope or stopped by our website lately, it’s impossible to miss our colorful new brand. We sat down with two members of the project team at Studio Matthews – Kristine Matthews and Marta Bernstein – to learn more about the process of creating the new Ballard Food Bank brand and how it was intentionally and thoughtfully incorporated into the design of the new space.
Read MoreWe recently had the pleasure to speak with two Ballardites who have been connected to the food bank in many ways over the last two decades. Tim and Sharon McKenzie shared their experiences of working and volunteering at the food bank in our current and previous locations.
We met our goal because of our community coming together to make this moment happen. Over 1,300 individuals, families, companies, faith groups, community organizations, and foundations came together in community to build something tremendous together. Gifts of all sizes truly mattered in this campaign because added up together they built a Hub for Hope where everyone is welcome. Whether you gave $5.00 or $1 million, you helped make this happen, we see how much you care, and we are grateful for you.
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