Emergency Food Network Inc

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Mission and Background The mission of the Emergency Food Network (EFN) is “to provide a reliable food supply so that no person in Pierce County goes hungry.” EFN began as a program in 1982 when the leadership of FISH Food Banks, Tacoma Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, and Associated Ministries recognized a great need in the community to resource emergency food collectively. With guidance from Paul Bender, the Executive Director of the newly formed Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, and through the organizing efforts of Dennis Flannigan, EFN’s first Executive Director, the organization was created to serve as Pierce County’s central storage and distribution center for emergency food programs. In 1985 EFN was transferred as a program to Associated Ministries. Originally designed to meet a temporary need caused by the economic recession of the 1980’s, it became apparent in the early 1990’s that the need for such a community service had grown. In response, EFN became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1991. Community Need The Pierce County emergency food system includes more than 65 food banks and hot meal sites providing nearly 9 million meals annually to over 840,000 clients (duplicated count). In recent years, food programs have experienced an increase in the number of clients seeking services. As the sole nonprofit food distributor located in Pierce County , EFN provides 69 percent of the emergency food available in the county. The majority of food was donated by large corporations such as Fred Meyer, Carolina Logistics, QFC and SuperValu, but EFN also acts as a Sub-Distributing Agency (SDA) for the USDA Commodity Food Program and purchases over $338,000 in food from its general operating budget and designated accounts. Services and Programs The Emergency Food Network (EFN) operates four distinct programs: 1) the Distribution Center, 2) the Mother Earth Farm 3) the Orchard and 4) the the Cannery Project. The 20,000 square foot Distribution Center is located in Lakewood and is the agency’s storage, distribution, and administrative center. We host our Repack Project in this Distribution Center . The Mother Earth Farm is an 8-acre organic farm located in Orting that yields more than 150,000 pounds of fresh produce annually. Started in 2006, the 13-achre Orchard in Roy has 308 apple and plum trees that will provide a sustainable supply of fresh fruit for food banks. The Cannery Project is coordinated by Northwest Harvest and is a partnership with the Independent Food Distribution Network, the LDS Church and the Bishop’s Storehouse in Kent . More than one million cans have been produced since the inception of this program in 1996. Clients Served The Emergency Food Network serves more than 65 feeding programs in Pierce County who in turn serve a diverse population of low-income clients. Of the more than 140,000 individuals seeking emergency food assistance each month in the county, 98% fall below national poverty guidelines. More than half are children and seniors and almost half are families with at least one adult working.

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