Grocery Recovery: A Collective Effort

Ballard Food Bank is always bustling with activity. Beginning the moment we open, our space is filled with people connecting and making a difference. But often the first folks to walk in the building are our grocery recovery drivers. Working in teams of two, these amazing volunteers drive all over Northwest Seattle picking up donations from our grocery recovery partners. We collect from 27 different locations, ranging from grocery stores to bakeries to pet stores. These businesses set aside donations for our volunteers to collect. Donations can vary, but often include flowers, protein options, fresh produce, and bread.

By eliminating unneeded waste and working together, this system gets food and other items to our neighbors in need. Once all the donations are brought back to the food bank, another group of volunteers are excitedly waiting: our sorters.

They get everything off the trucks, sort the items into categories, and organize them within the food bank. Some items go straight out to our shopping floor while others are stored in our commercial refrigerator or dry goods area.

Donations from our grocery recovery partners are crucial for our operations. Nancy Sullivan, Market Director at Ballard Market, has been a great ally in this work,

“The Ballard Market supports the Ballard Food Bank is many different ways. We donate food on a daily basis. We also have barrels in the front of the store where customers can put items in as they purchase. We get the food out there to people who can use it. It makes a stronger community; we’re all together in this.”

We would like to thank our grocery recovery partners for supporting our mission of bringing food and hope to our neighbors! You can find the full list of all our grocery recovery partners online at: www.ballardfoodbank.org/community-partners