Thurston County Food Bank

Food Distribution Hours
Monday, Wednesday
& Friday 11:00-3:00
2nd & 4th Wednesdays
5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Other places & times

Our Programs

Basic Food |TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program)
CSFP (The Commodities Supplemental Food Program) | Holiday Meal Baskets
FORKids (For Kids Program) | Summer School Lunch Program | Winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
Basic Food Program Education and Outreach | Cooking Demos | Birthday Bags
School Gardens | Mobile Food Bank System

Basic Food

Our basic service is a week's worth of food for each family; the Food Bank provides fresh produce, frozen meat, bread, pastries, dairy products and some frozen foods. In addition to this, non-perishable foods are offered by choice, organized by food groups and scaled up by family size. Additional selections are offered to those with special needs including dietary restrictions.

Diabetic Bags: Fruit packed in own juices or water, low salt soups and vegetables, and foods without sugar.
Vegetarian Bags: Vegetable based soups, meat substitutes, and vegetable based proteins.
No Cook Bags: Foods that do not require cooking (snack/breakfast bars and easy-open cans).

Baby Food

A three day supply of baby food sorted by stages 1-3 is available. This includes rice cereal and formula (milk or soy based).

Nutritionals

Based on availability, Ensure and other liquid nutritionals are available on request as a meal supplement or replacement.

TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program)

These federal commodities are distributed on a first come first served basis, starting the first of each month, to those who meet income guidelines. Although the amount and quantity is limited, it is offered in addition to the basic food bag. Service level is based on the household and scaled up for larger families.

CSFP (The Commodities Supplemental Food Program)

This case-managed federal program targets seniors, women, infants, and children. Eligibility requirements must be met before receiving services and are verified every six months. The amount of food is consistent from month to month and offered in addition to TEFAP and our basic food service.

Holiday Meal Baskets

In addition to our regular food bags, meal baskets are prepared and distributed for Thanksgiving, Easter (Easter baskets for the kids, too), and the Fourth of July.

Basic Food Program Education and Outreach

Under this USDA Program, we assist clients in completing the Basic Food Program (food stamps) application and provide help negotiating the system. The goal is to improve access to food stamp benefits.

Cooking Demos

The Food Bank currently has two to three monthly cooking demos on site. With the help of volunteers and the Produce Manager, delicious food samples are prepared for clients. The focus is the importance of the preparation and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables with a goal of a 15% increase in these nutritious foods within a year's time. In addition to food samples, we offer recipes, basic cooking tips and ideas, and recipe kits. This program is partially funded through the SNAP-Ed Federal Grant.

Birthday Bags

For parents with children (up to age 12), bags with small gifts, books, and party favors are available to support a family celebration. The bags are designed to be age and gender appropriate.

School Gardens

The Food Bank supports school gardens in our service area as a way to provide fresh, nutritious produce to low-income students. Some school gardens donate a portion of their produce to the Food Bank in exchange for summer garden tending and watering. The Food Bank provides more intensive support to schools that have large numbers of students in the FORKids weekend food program. Click here for more information.

Mobile Food Bank System

This service is provided to seniors living in targeted low-income housing where circumstances create access barriers to those in need of food bank services. For a list of locations and contact information, click here.

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