Thurston County Food Bank

I went to assist a friend. The volunteers were so nice and understanding with me being her +1. The friend I came to assist has mobility issues and the staff were very kind to the fact she had brought me along. They made sure she had a chair during our wait and asked if needed assistance. They briefed both of us about what was available. I didn’t know there were different types of choices that were available to clients. A person can choose a full visit that includes canned goods, produce, bread, meat, and dairy. There is a partial visit that includes produce, bread, dairy, and a few other items. Then there are supplementary visits that are only for produce and bread.
I pushed the cart as she told me what to get from the volunteers. All volunteers were kind and professional. Some knew the names of their regulars. My friend pointed to the types of produce she tends to get and how she preps it at home. She mentioned that she goes for supplementary visits the most because those are unlimited.
The cart we chose was large. The inside of the food bank resembles a small grocery store. It’s clean and organized. Each section has volunteers available to assist clients. There were quite a few people there during our visit so we were in close quarters. With the assistance of volunteer staff everything moved smoothly.
When my friend didn’t choose an item staff always made sure that it wasn’t because she forgot. This time she passed over part of the produce table. She reassured volunteers that it was a choice and not due to forgetfulness. «Oh, don’t worry. I’m not able to prepare that at home. Thank you for asking.»
Speaking with other food bank clients in the line: all mentioned that this was a well stocked food bank. Folks who had mentioned they were from other states had said those food banks were not as ample. The #1 tip I have heard from everyone, including my friend, was to preserve produce as soon as possible. «I can and dehydrate it. Sometimes produce goes off as soon as you get home. So I take care of as much as I can!»
I found the Thurston County Food Bank to be organized, staffed with helpful volunteers, and empathetic to the needs of the people it serves.
I learned a lot from the Thurston County Food Bank volunteers, my friend, and other clients. I hope passing along their tips helps!
If you need assistance and would like to sign up for The Thurston County Food Bank, you will need to bring photo ID with a current address. If the address is not current they suggest you bring in a piece of mail with your current address and photo ID. They will ask for the number of people in your household. Volunteers will kindly walk you through the process.
The Thurston County Food Bank is on Facebook. They also have The Thurston County Food Bank Gleaners come to various farms in the community to collect fruit and vegetables to be donated to TCFB.

I love and appreciate the food bank and their staff SO much! You leave with a full weeks worth of groceries and so many fresh veggies!