Meet Our Members: Thurston County Food Bank

By Stephanie Marin, Advocacy Assistant

Executive Director Robert Coit in the
Thurston County Food Bank Receiving Area

Food donations are sorted by type and
input in a custom database that helps
TCFB more accurately calculate the
dollar value of in-kind donations

Down in Olympia, Thurston County Food Bank (TCFB) under the direction of Robert Coit, continues to provide innovative services to meet the needs of their community.  The main food bank in downtown Olympia serves clients three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Satellite food pantries, however, allow the food bank to reach a wider variety of clients.  TCFB utilizes their network of volunteers to sort food and provides this food to their 17 satellite sites.  Not having to source food or volunteers makes it easier for these small food pantries to provide aid and gives Thurston County residents options to find food seven days a week.

Different Color Tickets Designate the
number of each type of food clients can pick up

Specialty Foods and Baby Care Shelf

If clients decide to go to the TCFB over one of the satellite locations, they are checked in and given tickets for each individual section based on family size.  Clients can also request separate tickets if someone in their family has a special dietary need such as sugar free or gluten free foods.  Staple items are separated onto three identical shelves.  This prevents overcrowding and makes sure everyone gets through the food bank in a timely fashion. 

Odd items and coveted items like coffee have a special place in the food bank in the “bonus” section.  This section is only for people who remember to bring their reusable shopping bags.  So far, the incentive has worked and saved the food bank time and money for plastic grocery bags!

The Repack Kitchen

TCFB relies on a variety of methods to keep their shelves stocked and minimize waste.  Due to the large contingency they serve, much of TCFB’s food comes from bulk purchases of staples such as cereal and canned goods.  Produce and other fresh foods are often donated from grocery stores and gleaning projects while food drives are relied on to provide variety in the type of food offered.  TCFB also works with restaurants and a local school district to recover unserved food in a program they call “restaurant rescue.”

This box machine allows TCFB to repackage
 Restaurant Rescue Meals in a snap!

  This food is taken from the restaurants and school district back to TCFB’s repack kitchen and boxed into family size servings for food bank clients.  The food bank also makes sure to take advantage of their influx of volunteers and squash this time of year by scooping, cutting, and otherwise prepping the winter squash to make it easier for clients to cook and eat.  This means more squash is taken and less becomes compost!

Presorted boxes of food for the ForKids Backpack Program

 On top of all this, TCFB provides 2000-3000 children food per week through their backpack program ForKids, has an in person assister for health care, and processes basic food applications!  Now in the middle of a capital campaign, they expect to expand square footage and services even more. A new warehouse off-site will free up some space inside the current building.  With this extra room, they hope to enhance client experience with a better waiting area and even more office spaces for services.  To learn more about Thurston County Food Bank, Please visit: http://thurstoncountyfoodbank.org/

Volunteers are well appreciated at TCFB!

Volunteers help sort food and organize the storage space

Cranberry sauce in time for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving essentials bags prepped for satellite food pantries

Some of the produce offerings at TCFB