Puyallup Food Bank in critical need of support as demand peaks amid climbing prices

PUYALLUP, Wash. — The Puyallup Food Bank is in dire need of support as demand for donated groceries has peaked in parts of Pierce County.

The CEO confirms shelf supply has hit an all-time low, and staff are pushing for donations at the Washington State Fair food drive from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday to help people who struggle to put food on the table.

This comes at a time when the food bank doesn’t get as many donations as it would over the holidays.

KOMO News toured the food bank warehouse on Thursday, where the stores of shelf-stable food are critically low.

The food bank used to serve about a dozen families per day. That number has spiked to about 60 families per day as cost of living and the price of just about everything else keeps climbing.

This increase has led their organization to cut back on distributions to its other 65 partners across Pierce, King, Lewis, and Thurston counties.

Food Bank CEO Shawn Manley added that the food bank is welcoming many first-time visitors, including people on fixed incomes.

“Typically in the spring, we’ve burned through all of that food, and now we’re at a historic low. We’ve given away so much food to so many clients, we just can’t imagine making it through without the spring fair food drive in particular,” Manley explained. “We’re seeing people with disabilities who can’t work or maybe can only work a little bit. They can’t make it on today’s wages. And so we’re helping the office in the hard decisions they’ve had to make. Whether to pay a heating bill or buy groceries this month.”

The food bank continues to take non-perishable items like soup, pasta, rice, peanut butter, and canned meat. Cash donations are also welcome. A $100 donation pays for 500 meals, according to volunteers.

To contribute or volunteer, contact the Puyallup Food Bank at (253) 350-9303 or email [email protected].

This is a developing story and will be updated.