BMAC Food Bank

Food Services
⨠
Food Assistance

Food Security for All

The BMAC Food Bank collects, stores, sorts and distributes over 4,000 meals each day to 13 partner food pantries across five counties including Walla Walla, Franklin, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin.  By providing a reliable source of food, the BMAC Food Bank plays a vital role in addressing hunger and food insecurity in our region.  Ensuring that individuals and families have access to nutritious food means we help build stronger, more resilient communities where everyone can thrive.

Click here for the BMAC Food Bank Overview.

Our Programs:
Backpack Bridge
BMAC started the Backpack Bridge program in 2017 to help students who receive free or reduced meals from their schools during the week but were going hungry on weekends. This affects one out of five kids in our communities. Now, thanks to local support, students in need can take home a food kit each weekend so they can prepare easy meals and a snack on their own. We work with community partners and schools to distribute the meals to students across our community, ensuring they have enough to eat over the weekend and during school breaks. 
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Demand for the Backpack Bridge program has surged, tripling in some schools.  This program is funded entirely by individual donations, and we need your help keeping up.

Click here to make sure that no children in our community go hungry over the weekend.
Mobile Distribution (Touchet, Prescott, Burbank)
To access a drive-thru mobile food distribution, first-time clients will need to fill out the TEFAP Registration form. No documentation is needed. After that initial form is received by BMAC Food Bank employees, a Walla Walla Food Access Card will get issued to that client to use when they visit one of the drive-thru mobile food distributions.

Picking up a box of food on Distribution Day? Fill out the TEFAP Registration Form ahead of time!

Can't pick up a box of food yourself? Have someone pick a box for you by filling out a Proxy Form.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (for eligible seniors 60+)
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) distributes food boxes to registered seniors (ages 60+) who are on a fixed income and program-eligible.  Distributions are held on the third Thursday of the month at the BMAC Food Bank (921 W. Cherry St., Walla Walla).  

Applications for CSFP are available at the BMAC Office (8 E. Cherry St., Walla Walla), or at the BMAC Food Bank (921 W. Cherry St., Walla Walla).
Grocery Rescue, Donations, and Gleaning
Each year, our team rescues over 300,000 pounds of food from grocery stores, farms, and gardens, saving the food from the landfill, and supporting our neighbors in need!

We also partner with farms or home gardeners to glean excess produce that may otherwise die on the vine. We include that fresh produce in food boxes and deliver it to local food pantries.

Don’t let your extra tomatoes or tree fruit go to waste! We’d love to share it with our neighbors in need.
Farm To Food Pantry
BMAC partners with Harvest Against Hunger and the Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to bring local produce to those in need through “Farm to Food Pantry.” This program allows BMAC to purchase fresh produce directly from local small farms like Frog Hollow Farm, Hayshaker Farm, R&R Produce, and Welcome Table Farm, and distribute the produce to our neighbors in need through BMAC’s food pantry network.  
“Purchasing directly from a local farmer will increase the availability of local crops while improving access to healthier food choices for families and individuals in need. Buying produce directly from the farmers also dramatically strengthens the bond between farmer and food bank. Our experience has shown that if a farmer has a strong relationship with a local food bank they are significantly more inclined to make additional produce donations.”

-Harvest Against Hunger
Washington State Basic Food Program
The Washington State Basic Food Program, also called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reduces hunger and malnutrition by providing people with financial help to buy groceries.  Many people who qualify are not yet signed up to receive benefits.  

Click here to learn more about eligibility and benefits.  

BMAC has dedicated staff who strive to make the enrollment process as hassle‐free as possible.  For more information, call the BMAC Food Bank at 509-529-3561.
Ways to support the BMAC Food Bank:
Donate Funds
A one-time gift can provide immediate support to a family in need, but a monthly recurring donation through our Friends of the BMAC Food Bank program ensures consistent support empowering our neighbors build self-sufficiency and long-term stability.  
Donate Food
The BMAC Food Bank welcomes donations of shelf-stable food items such as canned vegetables, fruits, and meats, as well as on-the-go snacks such as granola bars, jerkies, etc.  For a comprehensive list of Food Bank staple items always in demand, click here.
Host a Food Drive
If you and your friends or business would like to conduct a food drive, we can help set you up for success. Click here to download a DIY Tool Kit.
Host a Fundraiser
Info coming soon!
Join the BMAC Glean Team
Text VOLUNTEER to (833) 753-0944 to receive updates about opportunities to help us harvest produce from our partner farms and orchards. These opportunities often have little notice and require lots of hands!

Want to gather veggies from your friends and neighbors? Click here to download the list of preferred produce.
Our Promise:
Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online HERE, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation.
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The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
  1. Mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. Fax:
    (833) 256-1655 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. Email:
    program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal-opportunity provider.
BMAC Food Bank staff visualize the 30% increase in a gift's impact when given directly to the food bank due to BMAC's bulk purchasing power versus a gift's impact via retail prices.
BMAC Food Bank staff visualize the 30% increase in a gift's impact when given directly to the food bank due to BMAC's bulk purchasing power versus a gift's impact via retail prices.

BMAC Programs

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