Nourish Pierce County (formerly FISH Food Banks of Pierce County)

I am donating today because I feel the need for families with children to be so extreme and so terribly hurtful to both body and spirit. I received my 600.00 stimulus and had to ask myself why I was receiving it. I don't need it. So, I contributed 100.00 to Stacy Abrams to support what I consider an excellent cause .... stopping voter suppression. Incidentally I am Caucasian. The other 500.00 I am dividing between Nourish and the Puyallup Food Bank (I live in Puyallup).
I feel very deeply that those of us who do not need the stimulus money should donate it directly to causes as worthy and functional as Nourish. Perhaps that could go on a flyer.
Thank you for your efforts. Fern

I've never really donated before toward a good cause. I've dealt with the FISH bank people before but never to help, I'm glad I have just a little to help out a local food bank during this pandemic. I wish you all the best with your future endeavors.

Everyone, from the top to the bottom,works very hard 7 days a week to make sure this food
bank runs smoothly. It is amazing to see how many people it takes to run a food bank. it is
gratifying to know that we have helped people who are hungry to be able to set food on the
table for their familes.
Don and Janice Brennan

I have been involved in this food bank for around 3 years. We serve the community and do a great deal of good. The thing that most people don't get to see is the growth in our young volunteers. I have seen many young people come to get thier credits for high school graduation. A lot of these young people stay long after they have thier credits. These kids grow into caring adults in front of my eyes. I can tell that they will be involved in some type of community program for the rest of thier lives. Our food bank is here to feed people, and we do a great job of that. The extra is that we are growing and promoting the next generation of caring and commited adults in our community.

We love that the Edgewood Fish Food bank gives my son and I the opportunity to give back to the community. We value the people we get to work with and love the commitment the church has made by building and supporting the community center and food bank. The city of Edgewood and East Pierce county are stronger because of their faithfulness and care.

My family has been loosely involved with the edgewood fish food bank for years. Two years ago my daughter needed community service hours, so she and I volunteered one saturday morning, and we never stopped. The community outreach and overwhelming compassion of each person involved at Fish exemplifies the necessary Christian response to a broken world: The physical needs of the clients are met with dignity, and the relationship between the clients and volunteers is warm and genuine. The core members at Fish have a commitment to be the hands of Christ to anyone who has need. In a very simple and profound way Fish food bank simply answers the call to "feed My sheep."

well think about it without fish and its many volunteers how many people would be without at least a meal. I help at edgewood all of the volunteers are great. I also pickup from other fish food banks and they are great as well. it takes many to help many.

I volunteer at the Edgewood Foodbank. It is amazing how many people it takes to make this operation run. It has shown me there are many great giving caring people left. Kate who runs it spends so much time at work and on her own personal time. Dale is so wonderful with everything he does. This is just a really great place helping the community.

I volunteer weekly at the FISH foodbank in Edgewood. I am impressed with the thoughtfulness of the director. She is always concerned about her volunteers as well as her clients.

The foodbank is always a warm welcoming place to everyone. Volunteers are appreciated at this foodbank.

I know many of our clients really appreciate the foodbank. Some come from far away because this is their favorite foodbank.

FISH Food Banks provides a critical service to local communities. I became aware of FISH via the Food Backpacks 4 Kids, where we work together in a partnership role for the greater Key Peninsula Community. As a volunteer Board member for both the FISH Food Bank and the Peninsula Community Foundation (parent to the Food Backpacks 4 Kids program), I have intimate knowledge of the focus on service and love to the community actively demonstrated by FISH daily.

The FISH Food Bank is managed very efficiently and is totally dedicated to its mission to provide
food and more for individuals in need with compassion, dignity and respect.. I serve the FISH Food Bank with pride and am honored to be associated with this non-profit.

I joined the board of FISH through a friend who thought my past board experience could be useful to the organization and I will admit I did not know much about the organization. It took me a very short time to realize the scope of the work and the huge demand on the very small staff.

I am so proud of FISH and the service they provide to our community. The fact that 98% of the work is completed by proud "volunteer's" many who have dedicated their time for years really says it all. Once you have witnessed the need and how kind and generous our volunteers help these individuals you will never doubt the value of FISH.

Feel free to go to our website and learn more about this powerful community resource.

Barbara Reed
Board Member

Great group of people, well organized, truly enjoyed my time with all of them.

As a Board Members of FISH Food Banks of Pierce County, my task is to see that FISH is the very best steward of any and all resources passing through our organization that are being made available to serve those seeking food bank assistance. The need is great and seemingly endless, but the consequences of poor nutrition can be severe. For infants and children, the damage can be irreversible.

In a time when everyone is having to make do with less, the leadership and volunteers at FISH food bank are not only stretching every dollar in an effort to make sure that the over 500,000 individuals its serves receive the food they need, but also continuing to advocate on behalf of those struggling to put food on the table here in Pierce County and throughout Washington state. This organization truly understands what it means to serve. I would encourage everyone to find out more about FISH and the impact it has on our local communities.

I found the Fish Food Bank to be very well organized. All the volunteers are helpful and friendly. The shelves are kept stocked and organized well. The flow of recipients through the bank managed very well. A wide variety of items are availabled, canned food, frozen, drinks, dry goods...
I enjoy volunteering here because it is so well organized.

I wasn't even aware of this organization until earlier this year. Little did I know, FISH Food Banks serves more than half a million people each year throughout Pierce County. Unfortunately, all of these vulnerable families and this great service was not on my radar screen. I'm most impressed that all of the food banks serve people in need with compassion, dignity and respect. It's not easy to ask for help when you need it. It's embarrassing for most people to need to visit a food bank. They could be your family member, your neighbor, but too ashamed to let you know they need this help. So many seniors, students, hard working families, veterans and honorable military service members are forced to turn to a food bank for assistance. It's heartbreaking. But I'm so glad that FISH Food Banks are there and able to meet the need.

When I see a consistant monthly donation of 2200 plus volunteer hours at the largest distributing food bank in pierce county. I understand how SE FISH Tacoma can accomdate and service 17,000 plus clients a month.

I started volunteering at the SE FISH Food Bank in mid 2012 with a group of managers from work. I have done volunteering all up and down the west Coast from CA to NV to OR to WA , but I was most impressed by the compassion, respect and pride the FISH Volunteers demonstrate when serving their clients and was awestruck by the appreciation and gratitude demonstrated by the Food Bank Coordinator, Jim. From the moment our group walked in we were welcomed. The intake process is easy and there are plenty of other volunteers on-hand to "show you the ropes". Enabling the clients to use the grocery store format to select their own goods empowers the recipients. The volunteers get to engage and interact with the people being served and it's such a rewarding way to spend 2 hours on a Wednesday afternoon. However, the volunteer opportunities don't end there. Several of my Banking Center managers have set up early volunteer times that allow their whole teams to sort and re-pack food in preparation for distribution times. Jim takes a great team photo at the end of the shift and the participants have proudly displayed their photos on their break room walls. In December of 2012 I was asked to deliver a Grant Check to FISH from Bank of America and purely by chance I presented the check to Executive Director Beth Elliot during a meeting of the Board of Directors. When I overheard that there was a vacancy on the board I applied and was accepted to a two year term. Yet another volunteer opportunity was almost immediately presented to me: coordinating a team of 12 Bank of America Volunteers to help with the 2013 Annual FISH Food Bank FriendRaiser (next FriendRaiser is April 19, 2014 at the McGavick Center in Lakewood). Our volunteers checked in attendees, helped with seating, sold raffle tickets and helped with the auction. It was a rewarding Saturday evening for my teammates from Pierce and Thurston County and they loved the opportunity to volunteer in such a different and fun way. Providing food for individuals in need with compassion, dignity and respect isn’t just a saying at FISH Food Banks – it’s a culture that is carefully cultivated and maintained through the energy, dedication, passion and commitment of volunteers. Please consider becoming involved in this worthy cause – whether it’s by donating food or money or time – your efforts will make a HUGE difference in the lives of the clients and you’d be surprised how much difference spending time volunteering will make in YOUR life as well.

I came to the Lakes Fish Food Bank as a client in September of 2011 then when my husband deployed in 2012 I began to volunteer in August. As a client I was made to feel comfortable & unembarrassed to be there to get food for my family. Now as a volunteer I strive to make others feel the same way. I am now the volunteer coordinator and train volunteers who come in to help stock & dispense food. My main goal here is to make sure every person who comes through the door feels comfortable and to leave feeling more upbeat about their day and that the situation they have found themselves in that brought them here is not a defining point in their lives but just a bump in the road on their journey.

I came to FISH in December 2012. I absolutely love it and will continue here for as long as I am able. We help so many people with food and other essential items for the home. The clients are wonderful and we make sure we treat every single person with compassion, dignity, and respect. It's amazing how people come in unsure and shy, and when they leave they are happy and more confident.

It is such an honor to serve on a board of such an impactful organization. Our mission of serving those in need with compassion, dignity & respect is what we do throughout the organization. The model of letting our clients actually shop & select the food they would like for their families does so much for the self esteem of our clients. It is so fulfilling to give people a hand up with this basic need in our community.

When I started volunteering at the Lakewood branch of the FISH Food Banks, we served about 1200 clients a month. This past year, that number has grown to over 8000 in a month at times and hovers around 7000+. FISH strives to meet the growing demand by constantly improving its approach to providing food to the hungry in our community. New sources of donations, improved processes for allowing clients a greater choice in the food they take home, increased number of volunteers and ongoing commitment by the historical donors make it possible for the Lakes food bank to serve this increasing population.. The commitment of staff and volunteers is amazing. Even though I have moved out of the area, I continue to feel connected to this organization and to support it.

FISH Food Banks is a leader in fighting hunger in Pierce County! They are an incredible organization to work with, made up of some very kind and compassionate people. Thanks FISH for all your hard work in our community.

FISH food banks of Pierce Co Wa has been a blessing to my family. I have had the privilege to meet many volunteers through the years at the Sumner, Puyallup and Edgewood locations. Edgewood is unique because you can be a resident of anywhere in Pierce County to use it and you are allowed to go once a week. Unlike other locations you "shop" for the items you need and that your family will eat. I feel there is less waste this way, especially if the client or family members have special dietary needs such as low salt, low sugar or gluten free. The volunteers are cheerful and patient. There is even a waiting list to volunteer, so the community support is just extraordinary. There is on site help to apply for Food and Medical Benefits,

I have been a coordinator at FISH Food Bank for about 8 years and have seen FISH Food Banks Serve many thousands of individuals and house-holds throughout Tacoma and Pierce County with excellence, love and compassion for all people. FISh Food Banks really care about the people they serve they go out of their way to take the time to listen to the people they serve. They have made many changes to accommodate their needs. FISH Food banks has the most compassionate and caring volunteers and coordinators around who net work together in a community of unity to help ensure each individual and household they serve receives the quality assistance they need with love, compassion, dignity, and respect. The administrative staff is excellent in their commitment to be accessable to help in any way they can-they are truly, "People who Care About People." We have seen many people come in with tears in their eyes, expressing their heartfelt thanks to FISH for being there for them; many have come back to FISH food banks and donated their time to help as a token of their appreciation -They have told us "It's the ;least we can do for all the help you have given us." Others have come in and called FISH a "God-Send" or Angels of Help" We just Call it "Love In Action." Helping hands Extending a hand up." Many others have given their love back to FISH donating large amounts of food, and some have even given their whole weeks pay just to make sure FISH has enough for everyone, so "not one person, adult, infant, or child goes hungry. Some say, "It takes a village to raise a village," but I say "It takes a village to feed a village." FISH FOOD Banks are about Communities working together as one body of people serving one another- "Friends In Service For HIM."

Fish Food Banks of Pierc County has not only opened their doors to the community, they have to their volunteers as well. The people who make Edgewood Fish Foodbanks operate on a weekly basis are consistantly pleasant, empathetic and dedicated to their work. I appreciated being able to come in and volunteer, reach out to the community and meet new friends. They are so well organized and no one is ever turned away.

I work monthly at one of the "branch" facilities affiliated with the FISH food banks, at the St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Tacoma, WA. The room is set up by a group of volunteers and they place the food on the tables according to group of foods, e.g. cereals, fruits, vegetables. The number served varies from month to month, with many "regulars" who depend on the food provided at the end of the month. Many of the "clients" are immigrants from the former Soviet Union state of Moldava. Often grandchildren accompany older family members to provide translation. They also help distribute the food. It is obvious that the last Weds. of the month food bank is VERY important to these people. There are always new people also. Much of the food distributed comes from the FISH Food Bank. This "umbrella" organization does a great job of coordinating the individual food centers and providing public notice of the good work being done.

For the last 4 years, I have worked with Beth and FISH here in the Proctor District of Tacoma. The level of compassion and service is second to none! Keep up the great work please!

One of my best friends works for FISH Food Banks. Her passion and enthusiasm for the job she does serving the public is a testament for the good works that FISH does for the underserved in our community. FISH is a community organization that truly cares about its clients!

Thank you Fish Food Bank for your selfless service to the community. I called today to get help for a client and I was met with professionalism and service. Adeservig family in Pierce COunty will eat this week because you care. In these times families struggling more and more and with the holidays coming I am fearful for some families but I know that the will be ok because of your services. Thank you