Meet Our Members: Coastal Harvest

Coastal Harvest visit

May 13, 2014

 Nestled on the edge of a residential neighborhood in Hoquiam, the Coastal Harvest warehouse is quiet this afternoon when I am offered a tour by Andi Todd, Executive Assistant.  A food distribution warehouse, Coastal Harvest delivers food to over 50 food banks, senior and tribal centers, and feeding programs in Grays Harbor, Pacific, Mason, Lewis, Thurston, Jefferson and Wahkiakum counties. 

Coastal harvest is part of the Independent Food Distribution Network (IFDN), together with partner’s Northwest Harvest (NWH) and the Emergency Food Network (EFN); they strive to supply food banks and feeding programs with more and healthier food.  They also collaborated with partners NWH, State and Federal Hatcheries and the American Canadian Fisheries to create The Fish Project.  The Project harvests edible salmon from hatchery returns providing much needed protein to the emergency food system throughout Washington State. 

 

Coastal Harvest receives food from a variety of sources including NWH, EFN, general donations, local food drives, government programs, state and federal hatcheries and bulk purchased food. 

With eight full or part time staff members including an Executive Director, Executive Assistant, a Grant Manager, two part-time drivers, one warehouse supervisor, one warehouse laborer plus one utility position that holds a variety of job responsibilities they are able to distribute 3,467,000 pounds of food a year.  Food banks that are served by Coastal Harvest distribute any where from 100 to 6500 servings (bags of food) a month. 

Coastal Harvest staff makes approximately 3 trips a month to Kent to pick up food for Northwest Harvest and from 1 to 4 trips to EFN depending on when they have produce available.

Food for the food banks is sorted and stored in their warehouse until products are delivered to individual food banks.  Coastal Harvest staff does two full weeks of deliveries to their many food banks as well as a truckload delivery to the Lewis County's Food Bank Coalition where 8 food banks will come and pick up from their warehouse.  There are only a few food banks and senior centers that pick up directly from the Coastal Harvest warehouse because there isn’t enough room for the truck to maneuver or no loading area at their food banks.

Coastal Harvest also operates a Mobile Food Pantry that provides serve to 90 to 100 households (about 225 individuals) once a month in the Pacific Beach and Taholah areas. 

Learn more about Coastal Harvest at: http://www.coastalharvestwa.org/