Blog

Making sure our neighbors get the food they need really is a community effort! We’re grateful for all the folks in our community who come together to share food including fresh produce with our shoppers. Right now, some of the freshest comes from local P-Patches that have shared about 3,000 pounds with our shoppers so far this season.

We continue to see higher numbers of shoppers and guests than ever before. With the increased numbers, we also have longer lines outside the building each morning. To reduce wait times and offer new options for our shoppers, our team has been thinking creatively about solutions and piloting new programs.

This month, Jen Muzia is celebrating her 10-year anniversary as executive director of Ballard Food Bank! To mark the occasion, we asked her to share some memorable moments and highlights from the past decade. We also asked folks who’ve worked closely with her to share some of their reflections and thoughts.

We have several new faces at the Ballard Food Bank, and one of our goals has been to hire people who are fluent in some of the major languages of our community. In recent months, we have brought in several Spanish-speaking employees, including Hannah Reilly.

Last year, Lena Hart-Bundy shared the many ways Ballard Food Bank works to be a good steward of the land and improve sustainability in this post.

Since that time, we’ve made several updates that help us prevent even more food waste and increase sustainability both for the earth and our budget.

If you've spent time in our café grabbing a bite in the past eight months, you've probably experienced the warmth of Lucille Sheppard. Clients, staff, and volunteers have come to learn that with Lucille, you're bound to get a smile and an endearing greeting along with your coffee. Lucille joined the cafe team in September 2023 as part of the AARP Senior Community Service Employment Program. We have enjoyed getting to know her generosity, kindness, and charm. Her program recently ended and her last day with the Kindness Café was April 11th.

Recently, I attended a talk with Matthew Desmond, hosted by Seattle Arts & Lectures. The nearly sold-out crowd included about 20 members of Ballard Food Bank’s community: staff, volunteers, and supporters. We came together in Town Hall Seattle’s Great Hall to hear the author and sociologist speak about his book Poverty, By America and challenge us all to become poverty abolitionists. Most of our staff members have been reading Desmond’s book, which we’ve invited our community to read with us!