Greater Chehalis Food Bank to Open in New Location

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The new Greater Chehalis Food Bank, located on a 1-acre lot behind the main station for Lewis County Fire District 6 off Jackson Highway, will be open Friday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. after more than a year of planning and construction. 

Greater Chehalis Food Bank Coordinator Jeff Smith said the new permanent location will offer more space and privacy for those in need of food around the Chehalis area. 

“The same amount of people are going to come in, but we are going to be more efficient in giving food out,” Smith said. “And we are going to give people more privacy to check in, rather than having to check in in front of a line.” 

The food bank, which operated out of Yard Birds Mall and Event Center for almost two years, serves 420 to 520 families each month, and receives a majority of its food from Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline.

The new 7,500 square-foot food bank location is about three times bigger than the space in Yard Birds, Smith said, which allows for more storage space, including a walk-in freezer and cooler. 

The Greater Chehalis Food Bank will share the new building with the Lewis County Food Bank Coalition, which is currently located in Centralia. 

Smith said by having the coalition move to Chehalis, it will be closer to all six food banks in the coalition, which will save travel time and costs by at least $4,000 per year.



The Greater Chehalis Food Bank, which has more than 30 volunteers, is a part of the countywide coalition and covers Chehalis, Napavine, the Boistfort Valley and Adna.

Volunteers gathered this week to arrange boxes and practice the flow of handing food out to people in preparation for Friday afternoon. The food bank will be open each Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Those who want to donate food can stop by Friday mornings or call Smith at (360) 269-0450 to make arrangements. 

“This is a good-sized project and a lot of people have come together to make it happen,” Smith said. 

Construction on the new food bank, which cost about $265,000, was funded from current food bank funds and donations. 

Smith said he is grateful for Yard Birds to let the nonprofit food bank stay rent-free, but he said the food bank is ready to have a more long-term location. 

“It’s going to be better for people to have more room, and it’s better for us to work in a bigger space,” Smith said.