About Us
Our Mission Statement
The Tukwila Pantry, a non-profit organization, has been established to serve the residents of the city of Tukwila and the students and families of the Tukwila School District with their emergency feeding and clothing needs. Additionally, the Tukwila Pantry has dedicated a limited amount of resources to residents of the communities bordering the city of Tukwila. The Tukwila Pantry is committed to educating the members of the community and supplying information about additional resources for emergency needs.
Our Beginnings
No child should have to go to school hungry, come home hungry, or go to bed hungry. And yet, the number of families in poverty in Tukwila is growing. Fundamental to the very concept of community is the belief that when a neighbor needs help, the members of the community do their best.
Working together, the Tukwila School District, Tukwila Rotary, and Riverton Park United Methodist Church utilized enthusiastic volunteer labor and an $18,000 start-up grant from United Way to begin to tackle this growing community need. As a result of these efforts, Tukwila Pantry’s doors were opened in May 2001. The beginnings were small, and in our first year we served 277 families.
Thanks to growing awareness and growing partnerships, in 2004 we were able to serve over 5,000 families. We expect that this dramatic growth will continue.