Nourish Pierce County

Nourish Pierce County serves people experiencing hunger and food insecurity. As the oldest and largest food bank network in the County, Nourish’s mission is to provide nutritious food and support services to people in need with compassion, dignity and respect.

Nourish operates six food banks and two mobile food banks that visit 15 unique locations each week. Food bank locations are strategically spread across the county based on community need. Each site provides healthy, nutrient-dense food to food-insecure people.

Nourish serves the underemployed, unemployed, children, seniors, active-duty military, veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, individuals with disabilities, and many hard-working families who are often just a paycheck away from losing everything. No one in need is ever turned away.

In 2023, about 60% (58,000 people) of all food-insecure people in Pierce County came to Nourish hunger relief. We provided over 5.1 million pounds of food to people in need—enough to make over 3.4 million meals.

Compassion, dignity, and respect are central to Nourish’s mission. We cultivate a welcoming environment for everyone. As one guest said, “Nourish isn't just a food bank; it's a sanctuary where every person is welcomed with open arms.”

Our food banks operate on a self-select model and guests choose the items that best suit their needs. Each food bank has color-coded signage that makes the process easy for guests who do not speak English. Importantly, Nourish’s barriers of access are extremely low. We do not require appointments, IDs, or onerous paperwork. Food-insecure people need only show up and we will help them.

472 volunteers helped Nourish last year by providing 40,551 hours of labor, at a value of $760,413 according to the Independent Sector.

Along with the support of volunteers, Nourish depends on donations and grants. We exist because of the generosity of our community. Every dollar donated to Nourish helps put food on the table of a neighbor struggling just to get by.