Food Table donations help pay to restock the Central Tacoma food table. This includes non-perishable food items and drinks, fresh produce, personal hygiene items, masks, bandaids, water, hand warmers and warm socks during cold temperature days, and any other items that fit the bill to support community members in need and unhoused neighbors.

Table build donations go towards the building materials for us to build free food tables for others to host in Tacoma. Tables cost about $250-$300 to build in material costs, and this fund pays for those materials so we can create more micro-hubs of mutual aid in Tacoma neighborhoods.

Dan and I are hoping to be able to build about one of these per month, and we have a form you can submit to get on the list for a table, which you can find here. If you already have a free food table or little free pantry and would like one like ours to expand yours or you just prefer it, that’s great and you can also get on the list to upgrade your table!

Not officially. The idea for the table originally was from the organization Food is Free Tacoma, but we run our table independently of affiliation with any specific aid group. It’s just a little thing that we have in front of our house that seems to fill a need in the area and are happy to be a small node in a larger web of other more official and organized groups who do similar work around town. Anyone can start a table! It doesn’t have to be fancy or sanctioned by some organization. Put food out and let people take it. It’s a straightforward way to help others.

We aren’t non-profit like a 501c3 or whatever that means (official?), but I suppose we are not-for-profit in that none of the money that comes in through these donations is to pay ourselves. The donations here are just to offset costs of stocking the table and building tables. We just want to act as a funnel so that community members can have an easier way to support the table.

You can absolutely make your own! We are working on creating a tutorial and downloadable plans so you can build your own. Once I get that created I’ll link to it!

I don’t know, but in a case like this I operate on an “ask forgiveness” model. If you live somewhere where there’s a homeowners association maybe look into that, or look into your city’s rules about what you can put in a parking strip/right of way strip. I know of some folks who have their tables in their front yard adjacent to the side walk, or even in the alley. It can also depend on how NIMBY your neighbors are. If you have a snitch-y neighbor who doesn’t like it, they might try to report it to the health department, which is why I suggest keeping an eye on any donations you get and making sure nothing that needs refrigeration is on the table. My general feeling on the matter is that it shouldn’t be illegal to give food to people (but I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice…).