Ballard Food Bank opens new permanent location

The Ballard Food Bank has moved into its new permanent home, just up the street from their previous location.

Their new address is 1400 NW Leary Way, and they’ve just started offering services at the new location. As they transition to the new home, they’re offering specific hours for different services; see the list below to find out when to donate items or pick up food.

The new food bank is twice the size of the current location, and includes a garden, a large waiting area, and cafe for visitors. The warehouse is 3,000 square feet and has additional sorting areas and storage space, making programs such as the Weekend Food For Kids and Home Delivery easier for staff and volunteers to operate.

The Community Resource Hub will also expand with the new space, giving visitors more access to resources such as rent assistance, medical check-ups, case management, and VA services. The larger facility will allow the food bank to expand their services into more communities; Licton Springs to Bitter Lake and up to 145th St will be included in the new Ballard Food Bank service area.

This week, the Ballard Food Bank will transition their curbside pickup to the new building for former drive-thru and no-cook clients, but home deliveries will continue uninterrupted. Note that there is no drive-thru pickup for mail at the new building.

Starting Oct. 18, the food bank grocery store will fully open, and the Kindness Cafe will be open for to-go orders. The no-cook meals can be picked up from inside the grocery store.

The new location won’t have drive-thru options for clients, but they say they will likely offer to-go bags for folks who don’t want to enter the new building.

The Kindness Cafe will be open to everyone, but they’re only offering to-go food while the Delta variant remains a concern.

The Ballard Food Bank will host a grand opening this fall; we’ll update with more details when they become available. For more information about the changes as the food bank transitions to the new space, visit the Ballard Food Bank website.

Photo: Ballard Food Bank