Helpings Our Neighbors in Need

Guest post by Kara W., Ballard Food Bank Volunteer

From morning until evening, the Ballard Food Bank is buzzing with activity. Rock music plays on the speakers, fans hum throughout the warehouse and a small army of volunteers and staff tackle every task necessary to deliver healthy meals to people in need throughout North Seattle.  

I’ve recently joined this brigade of volunteers. I attended a volunteer orientation with my family last spring. After some initial hesitation about volunteering during the coronavirus outbreak, I started helping out a few months ago. The environment is safe and friendly. Each person wears a mask and gloves and maintains appropriate social distancing. The volunteers are as diverse as the clients. I may work with students, parents or seniors during a shift. I often bring my children, which is a very fulfilling and fun experience for all of us. Volunteers can choose the days and times they come in, easily accommodating busy work and family schedules.

Each day is filled with different tasks. I may fill bags with fresh produce for people who receive home delivery, assemble hygiene kits, or sort and distribute nonperishable items for those who use the food bank’s drive up services four days a week. Other days I distribute food directly to clients, load crates of fresh vegetables onto hand trucks or sort large bags of rice into individual portions for families. Each small task is a critical step toward putting food on the table for our neighbors in need.

During these times of economic uncertainty and rising unemployment, the Ballard Food Bank’s mission is more critical than ever. The number of people using the food bank has skyrocketed since the Covid outbreak last spring. So many people are struggling and they often tell me how grateful they are for the food bank’s services. Many would not be able to feed their families each week without it. Besides providing food to people via drive up, walk up and home delivery services, the Ballard Food Bank also offers services to receive mail and emergency financial assistance for eviction notices, utility shut-offs, lost IDs, or driver's licenses.

I am honored to be there to help the most vulnerable neighbors in our community. If you’d like to learn more about volunteering at the Ballard Food Bank, please visit www.ballardfoodbank.org/volunteer.