Thurston County Food Bank Services

Non-Perishable Food Bags - Three days of non-perishable food, in addition to fresh produce, frozen meat, bread, dairy and some frozen foods.

• 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 - Three days of baby food sorted by stages 1-3, 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 tested every six months. The amount of food is consistent from month to month and offered in addition to TEFAP and non-perishable food bags.

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.

FORKids (For Kids Program) - This is our school backpack meal program which targets hungry children. Two days worth of kid-friendly foods are provided on Fridays at area elementary schools, creating a community support bridge for the Free and Reduced School Lunch (Breakfast) Program. Click Here for more information.

Summer School Lunch Program- This program provides healthy sack lunches to children during the summer time, when school lunches are not available.

Winter CSA Program- This program provides locally grown fresh produce to qualifying families during the winter months. Available once each month this box of vegetables is offered in addition to produce that is normally available.

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

Cooking Demos - Held once each month, these demonstrations provide recipes and food samples to encourage the use of unfamiliar fresh produce or under-utilized shelf stable products. Sponsored by the Bayview School of Cooking and other community groups.

Birthday Bags - For parents with children (up to sixth grade), bags with small gifts, party favors, and cake mixes are available to support a family celebration. The bags are designed to be age and gender appropriate.