Operations

The St. Leo Food Connection is a project of St. Leo Catholic Parish and is dedicated to the collection and distribution of surplus and donated food to those in need in the Tacoma and Pierce County area. Started in a garage in 1982, the St. Leo Food Connection now operates the largest food bank in Pierce County, the weekly Springbrook Mobile Food Bank, the Backpack Program that provides two days' worth of healthy, kid-friendly food to elementary school students, 15 Summer Meals sites for kids, an organic fruit orchard, and an on-site organic garden.

The goal of both the St. Leo Food Bank and the Springbrook Mobile Food Bank is to provide our clients with enough food for three meals per day for three days for everyone in their household. Clients can come to either food bank once a week throughout the year.

Where Does the Food Come From?

Food is collected from supermarkets, food wholesalers and distributors, restaurants and farms, as well as from surplus and emergency food warehouses. Food is also made available through church and civic food drives, purchases by the St. Leo Food Connection, and gifts from concerned individuals.

Who Runs the Day-to-Day Operations?

The St. Leo Food Connection has a staff of eight and relies on the ongoing support of hundreds of volunteers who collect, process, and distribute the food we provide our clients.

The St. Leo Food Connection is a project of St. Leo Parish, and our operations are overseen by its director with the support of the Food Connection Commission.