Mission Statement: We are compelled by the Holy Spirit to share God's love by providing food to neighbors in need, treating all with respect, dignity and integrity.

Description:
Currently we distribute Sat. 11-2 but will be expanding hours and service upon the completion of our new facility.

Numbers Served:
2003-3,158
2004-9,402
2005-11,756
2006-12,903

We are a FISH food bank seeking to provide food for Pierce County residents on a non-discriminatory basis. We partner with other non-profit organizations such as Emergency Food Network and Northwest Harvest.

History:
Rose Kiourkas, Director of FISH Food Banks of Pierce County at the time of the organization of the Edgewood Community Food Bank, says that FISH felt there was a need in the Edgewood area for a food bank. The nearest were in Fife and Puyallup. They began working with Pastor Scott Brents and Parish Worker Collet Sperline at Mt. View Lutheran Church to address the existing need. There were very few food banks in Pierce County open on Saturdays, so it was determined that the Edgewood Community Food Bank would have Saturday hours to address the needs of the working poor who often have difficulty getting to food banks during the week. Many food banks limit clients to the zip code in which the food bank is located, but the Edgewood Community Food Bank decided to accept clients from all zip codes to better serve working people. It was also determined to be open to whomever comes during food bank hours, rather than requiring clients to make appointments. It was felt this would help us respond better to people in need of food.

The original Advisory Board of the ECFB was composed of Pastor Scott Brents, Parish Worker Collet Sperline, Co-coordinators Joan Linden and Ann Yost, Distribution Director Marlene Jolly, Resource Director Paul Tollefson and Operations Director Kim Soeder.

The Milgard Family Foundation was new at that time and wanted to provide help to a food bank in the Fife area where their business is located. The amount was quite large, so it was divided between the Fife Food Bank and the new Edgewood Community Food Bank. The grant provided all the start-up food.

The Edgewood Community Food Bank officially began April 5, 2003 in the Parrish House of Mt. View Lutheran Church. The building was a combined food bank/youth house at that time. We advertised in local papers, schools, local stores, city hall, community service agencies, and signs of Edgewood businesses.

It was several weeks before our first clients arrived and the numbers have been steadily increasing.
Initially, we pre-boxed our dry and canned goods according to the number of individuals in the family and gave out produce, bread and refrigerated/frozen
bags that had been prepared earlier.

As time went on the food bank operations had grown so much that the youth found it necessary to find a new home in the chapel basement.

Our present Advisory Board is composed of the original positions, but also several new positions have evolved. The present board members are Staff Liaison Pastor Randy Olson, Ann Yost and Pat Clement Co-coordinators, Eloise Homan Records Director, Distribution Director Steve Petersen, Resource Director Diane Nelson, Volunteers Director Eloise Homan, Food Preparation Director Barb Edmonds and Building Director Sandi Swanson.

In 2005 members of the ECFB Advisory Board went with Beth Elliott, new FISH Director, to tour different food banks in King County. Bonnie Baker, from North West Harvest was our guide. We visited these food banks to observe new ways to give out food, as well as to see the configuration of other buildings.
After this tour we arranged our food bank so our clients could move through the building and choose their foods. They could pick the foods their families liked, or choose not to take items that they didn’t need. Clients and volunteers alike were much happier with the new style of our food distribution. It is a less wasteful way to distribute food and our clients are empowered by the opportunity to “shop” for their own food.

Mt View Lutheran Church was looking into the possibility of a new building to house the food bank and other community services at this time. Our tour with Bonnie Baker included a visit to the Hopelink Food Bank in Bellevue, their flagship food bank/community services building. We liked their food bank plan so much that we have incorporated some of their ideas into our new plan.

The food bank has received much of its financial and volunteer support from the Mt. View Lutheran Church Congregation. We, also, have many volunteers and receive financial support or food from local schools, businesses, service groups and other churches in our community.

Contact people:

Eloise Homan, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email) Eloise Homan, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Address:

3505 122nd Ave E Edgewood, WA 98372 (See a map)