Ferndale Food Bank

The Ferndale Food Bank is committed to the mission of distributing food and support to all community members in need, with dignity, respect, and understanding. For over 40 years, we have been working to make food security a reality in Whatcom County.

The Impact, By the Numbers

With only a small team of staff, we rely on more than 200 people who contribute over 15,000 volunteer hours to serve more than 8,000 individuals each year. Our model is built on partnership and reducing waste:

We rescue over 700,000 lbs. of food from local grocery partners each year.
We proudly support our local economy, spending over $30,000 annually with Whatcom County farms.

How Volunteers Help

Volunteering at the food bank is a great way to get involved and make an immediate impact on the lives of your neighbors. As a volunteer, you might find yourself:

Assisting food bank shoppers with dignity and respect during distributions.
Sorting rescued food and organizing donations in the warehouse.
Getting trained as a driver to pick up donations or make home deliveries.

Most of our volunteers sign up for a weekly shift, but you can also sign up as a substitute to fill in as needed. The work we do would not be possible without the support of folks like you, so thanks for your interest in getting involved!

Ferndale Downtown Association

As the champions for our city’s core, the Ferndale Downtown Association works to ensure downtown is a vibrant and welcoming place for residents, businesses, and visitors alike. Through community-focused initiatives and dedicated support for our local merchants, we strive to celebrate and enhance the unique character of downtown Ferndale.

Bringing Our Community Together

Our goal is to make downtown a welcoming and lively destination through revitalization, community engagement, and economic growth. This includes:

Organizing beloved celebrations like Oktoberfest, Clean-Up Day, and Downtown Distilled.
Promoting our unique local shops and businesses.
Working on long-term improvements and beautification projects.

How Volunteers Help

Volunteering with the FDA is a hands-on and rewarding way to make a real difference. It’s collaborative, social, and often a lot of fun! As a volunteer, you might find yourself:

Helping to plan and run community events and festivals.
Beautifying public spaces by planting flowers or leading clean-up efforts.
Passing out flyers to promote local happenings.
Sharing your creative ideas to help shape the future of our downtown.

Whether you can give a few hours a year or a few hours a week, you’ll be part of a team that values your time, talents, and passion for Ferndale.

Sent Ones ministry

Sent Ones Ministry is a nonprofit based in Ferndale. Our mission is to foster hope for the poor in spirit, dignity for the ones in need, and meaningful connection for the forgotten and lonely. With a deep desire to see, help, and support lasting change, we walk out our faith with love, compassion, and acts of service.

Providing a Helping Hand

We are committed to creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere for the vulnerable in our community. We focus on providing direct support by offering basic living essentials, serving community meals, and directing people towards valuable local resources that can provide further aid.

How Volunteers Help

Volunteers are at the heart of our mission to serve our neighbors with kindness and understanding. As a volunteer with Sent Ones Ministry, you might find yourself:

Helping to prepare and serve community meals.
Assisting with the distribution of meals to unsheltered communities.
Organizing and giving out basic living essentials.
Helping to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere during community events.

Your time and skills directly contribute to providing hope, prayer, and encouragement to those we serve.

Ferndale Community services

Ferndale Community Services is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Ferndale and North Whatcom County communities. Guided by our values of dignity, compassion, and stewardship, our mission is to understand and alleviate unmet needs by providing essential resources and connection.

Our Core Programs

We serve our community through a variety of programs designed to provide equitable access to critical resources. These include:

The Community Resource Center: A central hub providing a clothing bank and other essential items to individuals and families in a welcoming, respectful environment.
Bridge2Services: A mobile outreach program that connects our unhoused and precariously housed neighbors with vital service providers, helping them navigate complex systems to access resources like housing and healthcare.
The Holiday Giving Store: An annual program that provides gifts and warm clothing to hundreds of children from low-income families, allowing parents to "shop" for free in a dignified store setting.
The Severe Weather Shelter: A shelter that provides our unhoused neighbors with a safe and warm place to sleep during the winter's harshest weather conditions.
The Community Garden: A vibrant space where residents can rent plots to grow their own food and cultivate a "First Fruits" garden dedicated to providing fresh produce for the Ferndale Food Bank.
Connect Ferndale: A community-building program focused on making Ferndale a safe and welcoming place for all through events like Ferndale Pride and Juneteenth that celebrate our community's rich culture and diversity.
The Volunteer Mobilization Center (VMC): A specialized program that activates during local disasters to manage and assign the "spontaneous volunteers" who turn up wanting to help, matching their skills to the most critical needs on the ground.

How Volunteers Help

Our programs are powered by the time and talent of our volunteers, who help us improve people's lives every single day. As a volunteer, you might find yourself:

Greeting guests and keeping things organized at the Resource Center.
Sorting and processing donations for the clothing bank.
Assisting with product distribution at a Bridge2Services Mobile Resource Center market.
Stocking shelves and assisting families during the Holiday Giving Store.
Taking a shift to ensure our neighbors have a warm place to stay at the Severe Weather Shelter.

Volunteering with us is a great way to connect with your community and make a direct impact!

Ready to make an impact?

Get Started Here!

Do you want to add your organization to our list?

Learn More About Partnering

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse