Although Food Lifeline is one of the biggest donors to the Jefferson County Food Banks, March 27 marked the first time many Food Lifeline members were able to take in operations at the Tri-Area and Quilcene Food Banks firsthand.

“I’m from California, so this is definitely my first time here,” said Sandra Largaespada, grocery rescue manager for Food Lifeline, as she joined the regular crew of volunteers at the Tri-Area Food Bank in Chimacum distributing food to clients.

Food Lifeline, based in Seattle, is a clearing house for donated produce and groceries, working with restaurants, farmers, grocery stores and other food service businesses, 300 in all, to “rescue” food from them that might otherwise go to waste.

Largaespada said that rescued food is then repackaged and redistributed to shelters and food banks throughout Western Washington every month, working to reduce the 30-40% of U.S. food that ends up in landfills, according to US Department of Agriculture studies.

“We provide support to our partners, such as the Jefferson County Food Banks,” Largaespada said. “But to do that properly, we find it helps to have an idea of what it’s like to work at those food banks on a daily basis, and to serve their participants.”

Bo Johnson, grocery rescue representative with Food Lifeline, concurred that an organization as broad-based as theirs needs a frequently refreshed on-the-ground perspective, to better respond to the needs of the food banks they serve.

“We’re the food bank for food banks,” Johnson said. “And we need to see the work those food banks are doing, in person, if we’re going to meet those needs. Direct interaction gives us the insight to speak to those needs when we’re dealing with our donor partners.”

Mike Boock, manager of the Tri-Area Food Bank, said Food Lifeline is their single biggest donor, delivering about 2,700 pounds of food each month.

“The Jefferson County Food Banks must get between 12,000 to 14,000 pounds of food per month from Food Lifeline,” said Boock, who also estimated the Tri-Area Food Bank serves as many as 550 people and 220 families per week. “Without Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest and OlyCap, we simply wouldn’t be able to operate.”

Boock echoed Johnson’s assessment of the importance of Food Lifeline members being able to observe his food bank.

“Our Jefferson County Food Banks are going to operate differently than food banks in inner-city Seattle,” where Food Lifeline is based, Boock said. “It’s good for them to see the end result of their contributions, and we love being able to engage directly with such a critical partner to us.”

For Boock’s wife, assistant manager Sue Laird, it’s not just the food that Food Lifeline supplies, but the time its members spend packaging it to be distributed efficiently during the food bank’s client days.

“That means less time spent, the day before, preparing the food for the line,” Laird said. “That makes it easier for our guys to keep the bins full of different foods for the client line. As it stands, on a given Wednesday, we’re out here from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., making sure everything is cleaned up and put away after all our clients have gone.”

When asked what the Tri-Area Food Bank could still use, even after the donations it receives from Food Lifeline and others, Laird’s answer was simple.

“Protein,” Laird said. “It’s what keeps our clients going. We also have at least four vegan families, so I’m always looking for vegan food.“