Nourishing and Strengthening individuals and families through emergency food and support services.

"The staff and volunteers make me feel welcome and help meet the needs of my family." A food bank customer

 The FamilyWorks Food Bank provides weekly groceries to people in need of food who live in the following zip codes:  98103, 98115, 98107 and 98133.  

We work to also make available the following products: infant and baby products (and many free baby supplies through the resource center), “no-cook” bags for people who are homeless,  hygiene supplies,  diabetic and low-salt items, and as supplies are available meet specific requests for vegan, vegetarian, high protein, culturally specific and other products.

First time customers are asked to bring a photo ID and proof of address.

The food bank is open:

Tuesdays  12pm-2pm
Thursdays 2pm-5pm
Fridays 11am-1pm
The Third Saturday of the month from 10am-12pm

Located at 1501 N. 45th St, you can find us by getting directions or taking the bus 44 or 16.

Volunteers are critical to the operation of the Food Bank.  Over 135 volunteers contributed 3,690 hours to the food bank.  Through the product deliveries of Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline and the partnerships of local stores and people who organize food drives on our behalf, we help to increase the nutritional status of 2750 people each year.

Do you have some great ideas on how we can get the community involved in generating food for the food bank?  We'd love to have you hear from you at any time.  Contact Ava Dowell at avad@familyworksseattle.org.  You can help!

-Volunteer your time
-Donate money
-Coordinate a food drive at your office, school, place of worship or social club
-Designate FamilyWorks through your workplace payroll deduction plan such as United Way.

A Tribute our Long Time Friend and Volunteer, Les Blanchard

For over 25yrs, Leslie Blanchard served as a front-line volunteer in the fight against hunger in Seattle. Les stood out for his commitment to action-driven compassion, his vision of a world without hunger, and his steadfast efforts to make that vision a reality. He reached out to clients that he saw suffering or wrestling with burdens and cares. Upon his retirement in 1985 with the City of Seattle Engineering Dept, he made the choice to dedicate himself to volunteer service. But long before that Leslie modeled his personal philosophy after the 1952 Nobel Prize winner, Albert Schweitzer, and Schweitzer’s inspirational book My Life and Thought. Les often shared many of his mentor’s sayings with volunteers & Staff , such as

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing…Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.”

Leslie Blanchard, We will miss him so.

Leslie has always been recognized as a remarkable volunteer, known for his reliability on the job, his compassion for the people he served, and his ability to inspire fellow staff and volunteers. In 1997 he was nominated by Ava Dowell as one of the three Seattle’s winners of the U.S. Mayor’s End Hunger Awards for his many years of “devoted volunteer work to aid the homeless and helpless.” We were privileged to get to know Leslie when he began volunteering for FamilyWorks 17 years ago & 13 years volunteering for Northwest Harvest’s Cherry Street’s Food Bank. Both Food banks have seen many examples of Leslie bringing to life another famous favorite quote of his from Schweitzer “ Therefore search and see if there is not some place where you may invest your humanity.” Leslie’s innumerable acts of kindness have brightened many dark days for the people we serve, and helped make his vision of a better world a reality, one person at a time.

But to Leslie, volunteerism was a part of his life and “just a matter of ethical duty” as he would often say. We at FamilyWorks Food Bank will always feel his spirit serving the People.

Why is it important to support the food bank and delivery program and get involved?  Read David's story, just one of hundreds of stories from people whose quality of life is improved through nutrition and support.  Thank you!