50 Years of Service, One Unchanging Mission
In celebration of our 50 years of service to the city of Puyallup and Pierce County, take some time to read our story below as well as learn about some of the events we are working on surrounding our anniversary.
50 Years, 50,000 Meals
To Celebrate 50 years of service to the community, We are looking to provide 50,000 meals to our neighbors through financial gifts and food donations. Be a part of this historic event of generosity as we give back to the community that we have been part of for so long.
135,854
Meals Provided
Equivalent to 94,870 lbs of food and $4,402 in cash gifts.
At our recent breakfast fundraiser our CEO, Shawn Manley said, “In a healthy community no one has the right to take resources from another community member, but we all have the responsibility to share the gifts we have.” The above total does not represent large distributors or bulk food purchases funded by government grants or financial entitlements (though we are grateful for those). This is neighbors helping neighbors in mutuality and reciprocity. Some of these gifts were even given by former clients of the Puyallup Food Bank! Thank you so much Puyallup, for sharing your gifts with your neighbors in need! Your generosity is astonishing!
The Puyallup Food Bank was founded by Bob and Evelyn Powers on March 23rd, 1972.
While serving at their local church, Bob and Evelyn caught a vision to provide hunger relief to their neighbors throughout the Puyallup Valley. They launched the Puyallup Food Bank as part of the F.I.S.H. network (Friends In Service to Him). F.I.S.H. is a worldwide organization of people united to help other people in need. The name was derived from the early Christians’ use of the fish symbol during Roman persecution.
As the ministry grew, God provided a warehouse space underneath the 512 overpass, for a lease of $1 a year! We used the small space to sort, store and distribute food to anyone who had a need. Motivated by faith in Jesus and a heart of compassion, we provided a listening ear, an encouraging word and, with the help of community food drives, a bag of food to get people through the week.
As others joined the effort, we began rescuing groceries from the local Fred Meyer, Top Foods and Costco, and distributing them to our neighbors who were facing hunger. As a fledgling Christian ecumenical organization, we treated everyone who came to us with grace, dignity, and respect. No one was turned away. Everyone was shown love.
For many years, the food bank shared the building with the Puyallup Community Daffodil Parade Float. Having these two volunteer-led organizations under one roof created life-long friendships and lasting memories. Laura V. remembers volunteering back in 1983, saying, “You would be sorting food, and when you had a spare minute, you would go and stuff daffodils into the float.” Terry W. began as a float builder for the Daffodil Parade, and later became one of the food bank’s most dedicated volunteers. He now coordinates our truck drivers, who pick up food from more than 15 local and regional vendors. The camaraderie of those early days was so great that one volunteer’s memorial service was held right there in the warehouse. This meaningful gathering affirmed the growing sense of community.
In 2007, the building under the overpass was condemned by the Department of Transportation. The food bank nearly had to shut its doors! Instead, we moved around: the sports complex on the corner of Stewart and 3rd St, the old Safeway building on E. Main, and even the Washington State Fair Grounds for a short time. During these uncertain years, our number of clients increased, and the economic climate made it more difficult to operate. Despite being in the community for more than 30 years, the food bank suffered from very little publicity. Missy Morehart, former president of the organization described it as “Puyallup’s best kept secret.”
Bill Franklin had been leading the food bank for almost 20 years when, with the help of Shanna Peterson, he brought the organization into the public eye with a campaign to find a more permanent home. The secret was out. With the help of the Puyallup Chamber of Commerce and Valley Bank, we purchased a warehouse on 23rd St. SE. That building increased our capacity by 10-fold and is still used as a storage facility for food and other items today. The expansion enabled the food bank to serve as many as 500 people a month. It was about this time that Washington State Fair began collecting non-perishable food donations on opening day. That first year, the bins were full within 10 minutes of the gates opening—a testament to the City of Puyallup being, “the land of the generous people.”
Over the years, the Puyallup Food Bank has distributed Christmas gifts for children, and thanksgiving turkey baskets for families. They’ve been blessed by bowling alleys, real estate agencies and hundreds of creative initiatives put on by our community to help those we serve.
When the COVID19 pandemic struck, we responded to the crisis by temporarily dropping all eligibility requirements for our clients and expanded our service area beyond the three zip codes we historically served, increasing our number of people served threefold. When COVID caused a community partner to close their doors for six months, we temporarily took on their ministry of distributing emergency bags for our homeless neighbors. Thank God our community and its service providers have reopened their doors to help those in need, and we are returning to normal operations.
We now reside at 217 W. Stewart Ave, where we serve an average of about 1,852 clients each month, and function as a hub for 32 other food pantries and community partners across Pierce County.
We believe our slogan, “food is the first step” captures the essence of the holistic, relational care modeled and pioneered by Bob and Evelyn Powers, Bill Franklin and other early volunteers. We are building on the legacy of relief, generosity and hope left by those who have gone before us. And with God’s help and the support of our community, we will be here for another 50 years, serving our neighbors, and partnering to assist them, believing food is the first step on their journey to a more hopeful future.
50 Years. 50,000 Meals
Learn about our goal to provide 50,000 meals and how you can be a part.
