After learning of an urgent need for paper bags, several members of Peace Lutheran Church in Port Ludlow gathered to help Ballard Food Bank. The churchgoers began saving paper bags and brought them to chief bag collector David Witsoe last summer. David passed them on to his daughter in Seattle, who brought them to Ballard Food Bank.
Read MoreOur Executive Director Jen Muzia is deeply involved in the local and regional coalitions and advocacy networks working to transform social service programs and change systems.
Read MoreEvery Tuesday from 11am – 1pm, you’ll find Jody Grage bent over her sewing machine at the Ballard Food Bank. She’s been mending clothes there for over a year. Jody began honing her craft at a young age. “I learned to knit when I was five, and I made my first dress when I was 10. We didn’t have much money, and I was small, so I learned to remake things. I’ve been mending things my whole life,” she said. Now 87, she has decades of experience helping others.
Read MoreIt was March of 2020 when all the students in my high school thought that we would be out only for two weeks. I was still a freshman in high school and knew that I still had three years to finish the required amount of volunteering hours for me to graduate so I didn’t think much of it. After those two weeks, however, everything shut down: schools, restaurants, businesses, everything. No one knew how long we would be in this situation.
Read MoreIn honor of Earth Day, we’re taking a moment to delve into what sustainability means at Ballard Food Bank. One of our organization’s values is that we acknowledge we are stewards of the land. We aim to minimize our environmental footprint, promote sustainability, and support local farmers and communities to grow their own food. From the building itself to the food on our shelves, we’ve taken care to create a space that provides hope and support for our clients, as well as reflecting our commitment to the planet.
Read MoreGarrett Dulaney has been in his position as Ballard Food Bank’s first case manager for just a few months but has already had a powerful impact on the folks he’s working with. While he sees about fifty people each week, he works most closely with 12 to 15. He holds weekly walk-in hours at Ballard Food Bank’s Community Resource Hub but also can be seen on the streets of our neighborhood connecting with people who are unhoused.
Read MoreAlfonso came to Seattle in 1999 to escape the cycle of abuse he and his family faced in Mexico. He found employment at a plywood store where his cousin worked, and later at the Yankee Grill, a Ballard restaurant.
In 2000, Alfonso realized his cousin and sister-in-law were struggling. They learned about Ballard Food Bank, and visits to the food bank became part of the family’s routine.
Read MoreDakota Rieke (pronounced REE-key) joined the Ballard Food Bank board of directors last September. A finance professional with interests in wellness, food and people, Dakota serves as assistant corporate controller for Ballard-based Trident Seafoods, the largest vertically integrated seafood company in the nation.
Ruth, our communications manager, sat down with Dakota to talk about the food bank and why she joined the board.
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