PROGRAMS THAT FEED OUR COMMUNITY

At OIFB, you’ll receive a warm welcome, fresh produce and protein, much of it locally grown or raised, and foods that suit customers of all ages, ethnicities, and dietary requirements — all at no charge. 

On first visit, customers are asked to register with their name and address and to self-declare that they meet the income qualification. No proof of citizenship, legal residency, or SSN is requested. Even a customer who prefers not to register receives food.

See Customer Info page here under "Important Info."

Thanks to grant funding and private donations, we can source fresh produce and local meat from farms in San Juan County. These purchases help to further the resiliency of our agricultural community here on Orcas Island and throughout the San Juan and promote fresh, nutritious, and humanely raised food options. 

"Eating is an Agricultural Act"  

Wendell Berry

Started eight years ago by a concerned parent in the community who acknowledged, along with the public school, that many kids rely heavily on school-supplied meals and that the weekend was a two-day gap in their food supply. Today the food bank manages this program and works hard to supply items that are tasty, nutritious, and socially empowering. The WPY program provides, shelf-stable, easy-to-prepare weekend food to K-12 students at no cost — enough for two breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. It is a collaborative effort of the Food Bank, the Orcas Island School District, and local markets.

 Learn More! 

Hundreds of pounds of delicious local fruit are gleaned seasonally by volunteers, staff, and generous property owners. The San Juan Islands abound with native varietals of apples, pears, and plums — Kings and 20-oz Pippins to name a few. Come join us for one of our cider press events where we turn this amazing fruit into fresh island cider, or grab a box to take home for baking projects and school lunches!  

To have your fruit trees or vegetable crops gleaned or to volunteer to glean, please contact call 360.317.6958 and speak with our Director. 

We have been working hard at getting more teens in the door during their lunch breaks, as well as coming in for an after-school snack. At the beginning of the school year we gave a presentation to the Orcas Island High School to educate them about social services, and how the Food Bank ties into this and into their lives. We encourage ALL teens to stop by the food bank to grab a snack or a lunch item.   Click here for more...

As part of our ongoing goal to foster a more equitable food system on the island, we offer a variety of products that honor different household food cultures and specific dietary needs. This includes but is not limited to Hispanic food products; gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options; and food items for customers with limited or no kitchen access. For example, we have a variety of microwavable meals that we heat for customers who come in looking for something hot to eat.

 Click here for more...

Orcas Island Market, the Orcas Food Co-op, and other local food distributers help close the gap on food waste by donating damaged, expired, or surplus goods to our organization. We then can offer all quality products back to islanders, and anything not suitable for people to happy pigs and chickens on local farms. This is an important way we can work together to contribute to a food system that will sustain and honor all forms of life here on Orcas Island!

To help with the growing need for food access on the island, the Orcas Island Food Bank has brought on more help through the AmeriCorps program. We are currently on our fourth term with AmeriCorps, and the help provided has been invaluable to the functioning of our Food Bank. AmeriCorps service members help run the day-to-day operations, work with and direct volunteers, participate in grocery rescue, and assist in all the in-between tasks that keep our operation running! We love our AmeriCorps, and look forward to continuing this program!

 If you wish to apply for a position with AmeriCorps, visit  https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=99780

If you have any questions about our AmeriCorps program, please call 

(360) 376- 6958

The Ashland Food Project created a door-to-door system with their neighbors to collect non-perishable food items every two months (even-numbered months). In October 2021, we launched our own Orcas Food Project. Here's how it works!