With the changing of seasons and holidays right around the corner, local food banks and shelters are in need of supplies.
The Emergency Feeding Program has been serving people of King County for 40 years.
The program helps organizations such as the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, local clinics, churches and others with their food needs.
Most of the items the program is looking for are nonperishable items including peanut butter, canned vegetables and fruit, canned tuna/meat, canned soups, canned juices, powdered milk, macaroni and cheese and pudding cups.
“We welcome donations anytime,” Office Manager Mark Johnson said.
The Emergency Feeding Program is located at 851 Houser Way N. and is open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The Renton Ecumenical Association of Churches
REACH has two main programs it oversees — Renton Meal Coalition and the Center of Hope.
The meal coalition currently provides breakfast daily from 8 to 10 a.m. ,Monday through Friday and dinner from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. These meals are served at 300 Rainier Ave. N.
They also serve holiday dinners on Thanksgiving and on Christmas day. These meals are served at Luther’s Table, 419 S Second St. The Thanksgiving meal will be served from noon to 2 p.m.
“People like to donate (this time of year),” said Karen Wimberly, REACH board of directors member.
She said the holiday dinners are taken care of but they are always stocking up on staples.
Many of their needed items are similar to the Emergency Feeding Program — canned food items including fruits and vegetables, pasta sauce and soups. Wimberly added larger cans of food are ideal.
The Center of Hope, located at City Hall, also serves breakfast and lunch to women and families and are in need of similar food items, Wimberly said. The center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Aside from food items, Wimberly said as it gets colder, many people have been asking about gloves, hats, blankets, socks and other clothing items.
“You can never have too many socks,” Wimberly said.
Food, clothing donations can be dropped off during business hours.
Salvation Army Renton Rotary Food Bank
With Thanksgiving a week away, the food bank is currently looking for items that you would put on a Thanksgiving table, said Martha Barrett, community programs manager, in an email.
Those would include potatoes, gravy, yams, sweet potatoes, green beans, hams, turkeys, whole chickens, macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes and stuffing.
These items will also be needed for Christmas, Barrett said.
The food bank is located at 206 South Tobin Street. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and donations can be dropped off until 5 p.m. during the holiday season.
Barrett added there is a need for volunteer bell rings from Nov. 24 until Dec. 23, call 425-255-5969 for more information.
St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul helps provide food to families during the holidays.
They will be making Christmas baskets and have a list of items that people can donate.
Those items include: cans of vegetables or fruit, cans of soup, boxes/bags of stuffing, gravy, butter, jello, cake mixes, instant coffee or hot chocolate, cranberry sauce, tomatoes, instant potatoes, rice and baked beans.
These items can be dropped of at the perish office, 314 South 4th Street, during business hours from 8:30 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
All donations would need to be collected by Sunday, Dec. 10.
