The Edmonds Food Bank’s capital campaign, “Thrive Together,” is approaching a major milestone of $1 million. With over $820,000 raised to date through a combination of individual contributions and organizational gifts, the campaign is on its way to building a new, larger facility to better serve those facing food insecurity in the greater Edmonds area.

Last week, the food bank’s leadership team gathered for an in-depth training session led by fundraising consultant Heidi Thomson-Daly. Board members and campaign ambassadors came together to gain essential fundraising training and skills to help move the campaign forward.

“While we’ve made great progress since the campaign began in February, we still have a way to go to achieve our $14 million goal.” said Jeremy Peck, director of development at Edmonds Food Bank. “While we continue our funding efforts from government and foundation sources, we know it is critical to seek funding from individuals in our community, so we provided training for our board members and campaign ambassadors to keep driving the campaign momentum.”

Director Casey Davis emphasized the importance of the community’s continued support: “This team is made up of passionate individuals who deeply believe in our mission. Time and time again, our community has rallied to support the food bank, and as we move forward with our capital campaign, we are confident that this incredible support will continue to grow.”

Currently, the Edmonds Food Bank operates out of Edmonds United Methodist Church, distributing food on Mondays from 2:30-6 p.m. and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Despite the limited schedule, the food bank is still able to serve 12 households every 10 minutes. And thanks to the dedicated efforts of over 300 volunteers and multiple off-site distributions throughout the week, the food bank is providing groceries for nearly 1,000 households weekly.

The new facility will be located on the property of Edmonds Lutheran Church and will allow for expanded operating hours and improved access for food bank customers, ensuring that more households can receive food at times that work for them.

The new facility will also include more space for food storage, a full commercial/teaching kitchen, community conference rooms, and spaces for community partners to provide additional services for food bank customers. The food bank works alongside more than 30 community partners to address the root causes of food insecurity, and the broader issues connected to it. In a new space, the food bank will partner with organizations like City of Edmonds Human Services in a more impactful way.

“We understand food insecurity goes beyond just a lack of food,” Davis said. “There are many factors that bring someone through our doors. Access to resources, language barriers, employment, education, and health all contribute to someone’s need for food support.

“Our vision is to create a web of services where we can offer more than just a bag of groceries,” she continued. “We want to start with food and then be able to say, ‘While you’re here, let’s connect you with resources for postpartum support, tutoring, housing or transportation.”

For more information on the Thrive Together campaign visit edmondsfoodbank.org/our-future or contact Director of Development Jeremy Peck at development@edmondsfoodbank.org.