Fife/Milton/Edgewood Food Bank opened its doors to the northwest Pierce County community over 40 years ago. Food Bank Manager Fred Mitchell remembers back when the pantry only served about 50 families a month and gave 30-40 holiday baskets each year. Now their 45 regular volunteers work three days a week to serve more than 500 guests each month.

The food pantry established a partnership with Emergency Food Network in 1988. They receive most of their food from Emergency Food Network and Food Lifeline. Frequent food drives at the St. Martin of Tours Parish and Holy Rosary Bilingual Academy also help keep the food pantry shelves full. The food bank building itself is a former house located behind the church. The food pantry utilizes every bit of space available, with tidy storage and well-organized shelves.

At Fife/Milton/Edgewood Food Bank, the team champions compassion just as much as efficiency. It is the motto of the food pantry to “provide food to all who come to our door.” Fred firmly believes in respecting all guests. “Our policy is that we don’t ask any questions when you come in,” he says. Guests can enter without fear of having to prove or legitimize their needs. As long as there is hunger, Fife/Milton/Edgewood Food Bank is happy to help.

The pantry could use more volunteers to help with stocking and pickups on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 7:00 am – 10:00 am. They also need help handing out food to guests from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. If you are interested in volunteering, call (253) 922-0960 or e-mail fredmarymitchell@aol.com. Fred encourages those interested to drop by to learn more and see if this opportunity might fit you, with no commitment required.