Partner Programs
EFN’s closest partners are the food pantries, hot meal sites, and shelters in our network. We provide a consistent food supply for our Partner Programs and, in turn, rely on these programs to distribute the food equitably throughout the community to make sure our neighbors are well-fed. We also collaborate on a strategic level with some of our Partner Programs to identify and fill the gaps in the emergency food system. Each month, EFN provides our partner programs with more than one million pounds of food, at no cost to them.
In addition to distributing food, we impact our Partner Programs by providing them with best practice guidance, assistance with equipment resourcing, and pass-through funding to help support their work.
Mother Earth Farm
Emergency Food Network’s Mother Earth Farm is an 8-acre organic farm located in the beautiful Puyallup Valley. The farm distributes more than 86,000 pounds of fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs annually to Pierce County food pantries and meal sites. Food from the farm is typically available to our neighbors in need within 24-hours of harvest.
Volunteering at the Farm
It would not be possible to provide this fresh food option to our neighbors in need without the help of volunteers. In the spring, volunteers at the farm assist with seeding, weeding, composting, and irrigation. In the summer and fall, the focus is on weeding and harvesting.
Home Delivery
The Home Delivery program is EFN’s newest program, implemented in May of 2020 as a way to reduce food access barriers for people experiencing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every week, our team of volunteer drivers delivers boxes of food to families across Pierce County. Families can receive food every other week, once per month, or just once, depending on their needs. Boxes contain a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables, shelf-stable foods, dairy, and protein. We get food for the Home Delivery Program through purchase and donations. The number of boxes a family receives varies based on family size. On average, families receive enough food for 12 meals every delivery.
Co-Op Food Purchasing Program
Our Co-op Food Purchasing Program allows us to purchase bulk food such as rice, oats, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins to ensure a consistent supply of staple food to our Partner Programs. In a typical year, we purchase over 600,000 pounds through our Co-op program. We continue to purchase at an elevated level, purchasing new products such as peanut butter, canned tuna, and bottled water.
The Co-op Food Purchasing Program is more important than ever. While the majority of the food we distribute is donated, the quantity and nutritional quality of these items is unpredictable. Food from the program supplements donated food and produce from our Mother Earth Farm which enables food pantry guests to prepare whole, nutritious meals.
Repack Program
Volunteers at Emergency Food Network’s Repack Project prepare bulk foods for distribution by repackaging the foods into smaller, family-sized portions. Bulk foods include rice, oats, frozen corn and peas, and pasta. Once repackaged, the food is ready to go out to the Pierce County food pantries, meal sites, and shelters that we serve.
Break Bags Program
In Pierce County, 60,000 (2020) students receive free or reduced-cost lunch. For those students, school is sometimes the only place where they can receive a nutritious and filling meal. When school is not in session, these meals become unavailable and students are at risk of going hungry.
EFN established our Break Bag program in 2014 in partnership with St. Leo Food Connection and the Clover Park School District to provide students with supplemental meals during Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks. Each break, 1,000 students from Tacoma and 1,000 students from Lakewood receive a 15-pound bag of family-friendly food. Break Bags contain a mixture of no- or low-preparation food, such as granola bars and peanut butter, alongside food that can be used to prepare meals for the whole family, such as canned soup, rice, potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. Many households receiving Breaks Bags have at least one working adult, meaning students may be home alone during extended breaks. Including ready-to-eat foods in Break Bags ensures students are fed and safe at home while their parents are at work.