Financial
Community Gardens and Other Food Resources Available Near You
By R. Dyer Allied Residential
With more than one in ten of us using food assistance to survive every month, it’s worth remembering that community gardens provide self-sufficient sustenance on common ground. With each seed planted, every food forest and community garden grown, we work toward a more sustainable and equitable future—not just for ourselves, but for everyone. The goal in life should not be how hard we can individually work to stay out of poverty. The goal should be how each of us can contribute to the quality of life for everyone in the community, regardless of socio-economic status.
Imagine working together for the quality of life of everyone in our communities versus hoarding resources for an undetermined future. Sharing information, experiences, and resources to build community and each other. One of my favorite ways to do this is in bloom in our community gardens, where we build community and learn about resourcefulness and resilience together as we fight for our collective future.
There can be waiting lists to get plots in these gardens, and each garden has a different mission, a goal, and their own ways of doing things. Each garden I’ve visited has been a welcoming cacophony of sweet scents and growth—or of composting, depending on the season. It’s a process of mulching and composting in the fall, resting in the winter, turning over the soil and adding to it in the spring, and growing crops all summer into the fall, with winter plantings thriving in between. Going from garden to garden is a beautiful way to spend time.
If you are interested in visiting or joining a community garden, what’s stopping you? Don’t know where to start? We got you! You can check out the community gardens online at Pierce County’s website, Harvest Pierce County’s website, and the City of Tacoma’s website under “Community Gardens.” Applications for plots are online, too!
Online Links:
Community Gardens - City of Tacoma
Find a Community Garden | Pierce Conservation District, WA (piercecd.org)
https://piercecd.org/312/Find-or-Start-a-Community-Garden
Harvest Pierce County has an amazing map that can be found here: Community_Gardens_Map_2017.pdf (cityoftacoma.org) https://cms.cityoftacoma.org/Sustainability/Community_Gardens_Map_2017.pdf
Community gardens come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and offer many benefits to the community: compost demonstrations, demonstration gardens, faith-based gardens, orchards and food forests, and accessible gardens. Here are some of my favorite community gardens, in no order:
Mountain Community Garden
305 Center St E, Eatonville
Harvest House Community Garden
13314 244th St E, Graham
United Methodist Community Garden
6900 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Tacoma
Mentor House Community Garden
3401 104th St E, Tacoma
Food Forest at Swan Creek Park
E 42nd St & E Roosevelt Ave, Tacoma
swancreekparkfoodforest@gmail.com
Dometop Garden at Rogers Park
E 34th St & E L St, Tacoma
Curran Apple Orchard
39th St W & Grandview Dr, University Place
Puyallup Community Garden
111 19th Ave SW, Puyallup
Gallucci Learning Garden
S 14th & South G St, Tacoma
galluccilearninggarden@gmail.com
Hilltop House Garden & Orchard
S 19th St & Yakima Ave, Tacoma
Gig Harbor Community Garden
4118 Rosedale St, Gig Harbor
Proctor Garden
N 21th & Proctor St, Tacoma
proctorgarden@gmail.com
Next time you take a walk around the City of Destiny, take the time to stop and read the signs around a community garden. Lush-smelling, verdant places growing herbs, fruits, flowers, and vegetables are gorgeous third places for community, learning, resilience, and resourcefulness.
Consider joining your neighbors. Live in a place where you have land to spare? Consider donating to or hosting a community garden. Live in a small apartment? Consider growing in container gardens. Live in your car? The ends of green onions sitting in water in a cut plastic bottle on the dashboard can grow fast and are delicious. Everyone can consider joining a community garden.
Do you or someone you know need help affording food? SNAP, WIC, and P-EBT benefits are nutrition programs in Washington State. With SNAP, you can buy seeds and plants to produce food and build and grow a garden.
Depending on how many people are in your household, among other factors, you may be eligible for one of these nutrition programs. The best way to find out if you are eligible is to use one of these tools:
Washington Connection
https://www.washingtonconnection.org/home An online tool to help you find the benefits you are eligible for. The form takes about 15 minutes to finish.
Parent Help 123
For parents to find resources and benefits.
Call the Help Me Grow WA Hotline at 1-800-322-2588 for help with access to community services and support. https://helpmegrowwa.org
FOOD RESOURCES
All Saints Catholic Church, Puyallup (delivery) 253-848-2000
Allen Food Pantry 253-627-6855
BASH 253-531-9600
Bread of Life at Lake City 253-582-2515
Buckley 253-266-7309
Catholic Community Service (frozen delivery) 253-474-1300
Community Christian Assembly 253-537-4010
Department of Social & Health Services (benefit) 877-501-2233
Eatonville Family Agency 360-832-6805
Eatonville Living Word Assembly of God 360-832-4220
Eloise Cooking Pot 253-426-1994
Emmanuel Food Pantry 253-863-3655
Holy Family of Jesus Cambodian Church (benefit) 253-471-9838
Korean Women’s Association (benefit) 253-535-4202
Lutheran Community Services NW (frozen delivery) 253-272-8433
Nourish Pierce County Food Banks
Information 253-383-3164
Edgewood 253-826-4654
Graham 253-846-3805
Jackson Street 253-383-3164
Lakes 253-581-1116
NW Tacoma 253-756-4974
SE Tacoma 253-531-4530
Food Connections 253-383-5048
Gig Harbor Peninsula (Nourish) 253-858-6179
Lakewood/Prince of Peace 253-584-2565
Orting 360-893-0095
My Sister’s Pantry 253-627-1186
Parkland 1st Baptist 253-535-1293
Puyallup (Nourish) 253-848-5458
Roy/McKenna 253-843-3033
Salvation Army
Puyallup 253-841-1491 ext. 201
Tacoma 253-572-8452
South Sound Outreach Services (benefit) 253-593-2111
Spanaway (Nourish) 253-383-1817
Steilacoom 253-581-1076
SE Asian Diets 253-472-7264
Sumner 253-863-3793
Tacoma/Bounty 253-475-7098
Tacoma Adventist Community Services/special diets 253-272-8289
Trinity Lutheran Food Pantry 253-537-0201
United Lutheran Church 253-475-3175
University Place (Nourish) 253-460-3134
WLSA/Steilacoom 253-581-1076
Yelm 360-458-7000
FOOD RESOURCES- MEALS
Beacon Activity Center 253-591-5083
415 S 13th St, Tacoma
Bonney Lake Senior Center 253-863-7658
19304 Bonney Lake Blvd
Buckley Senior Center 360-829-0190
811 Main St
Catholic Community Services and Center 253-502-2723
1323 S Yakima, Tacoma
Community Christian Assembly Food Bank 253-537-4010
10401 19th Ave Ct E, Tacoma
Eastside Community Center 253-404-3990
1721 E 56th St, Tacoma
Eatonville Community Center 360-832-6805
305 W Center St
Fife Community Center 253-922-0900
2111 54th Ave E
Gig Harbor Senior 253-514-6338
6509 38th Ave NW
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 253-473-4848
140 E 56th St, Tacoma
Hospitality Kitchen 253-502-2695
1323 S Yakima, Tacoma
Key Peninsula Community Service 253-884-4440
10715 9th St Ct KPN, Lakebay
Korean Women’s Association 253-535-4202
123 East 96th St, Tacoma
KWA Indochinese Cultural Services Center 253-473-5666
1427 E. 40th St, Tacoma
Lighthouse Senior Center 253-591-5080
5016 E A St, Tacoma
Mid-County Community Center 253-531-8412
10205 44th Ave E, Tacoma
My Sister’s Pantry 253-627-1186
621 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma
Nativity House 253-272-5266
2304 S Jefferson, Tacoma
Orting Valley Senior Center 360-893-5827
120 Washington St, Orting
Algona–Pacific Senior Center 253-929-1150
100 Third Ave SE, Pacific
Point Defiance-Ruston Senior Center 253-756-0601
4716 N Baltimore
Puyallup Activity Center 253-841-5555
210 W Pioneer
Puyallup Tribal Elders Intertribal Native American 253-680-5480
1650 E 30th St, Tacoma
Salvation Army-Puyallup 253-841-1491
4009 9th St SW
Spana–Park Senior Center 253-537-4854
325 E 152nd St, Spanaway
Steilacoom Community Center 253-983-2059
2301 Worthington, Steilacoom
Sumner Senior Center 253-863-2910
15506 62nd St Ct E, Sumner
Tacoma Rescue Mission 253-383-4493
425 South Tacoma Way
Tillicum/American Lake Gardens Community Center 253-584-1280
14916 Washington Ave SW, Tillicum
Trinity Lutheran Church 253-537-0201
12115 Park Ave S, Parkland
University Place Senior Community Center 253-564-1992
2534 Grandview Dr W
EMERGENCY AND CRISIS LINES
Child Protective Services 866-363-4276
Crisis Clinic 24-Hour Crisis Line 866-427-4747
Crisis Connections:
24-Hour Crisis Line 866-427-4747
Teen Link 866-833-6546
WA Recovery Helpline 866-789-1511
WA Warm Line 877-500-9276
Domestic Violence Helpline 253-798-4166
Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233
Family Renewal Center 253-475-9010
Family Renewal Center 888 888-550-3915
MultiCare Behavioral Health 253-697-8400
National Suicide and Crisis Line 9-8-8
National Suicide Prevention Hotline 800-273-8255
Planned Parenthood 800-769-0045
Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County 253-597-6424
Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County 800 800-756-7273
Veterans Affairs Crisis Line (option1) 800-273-8255
WAFHome (KWA) 253-359-0470
Washington Poison Center Information Line 800-222-1222
Washington Listens 833-681-0211
Washington Recovery Helpline 866-789-1511
ADVOCACY RESOURCES
Adult Protective Services 877-734-6277
Aging & Disability Resources Center 253-798-4600
Aging & Disability Resources Center 800 800-562-0332
Disabled American Veterans 253-472-4680
Medicare Beneficiary Helpline 800-633-4227
DISABILITY RESOURCES
Northwest Access Fund 206-328-5166
Northwest ADA Center 800-949-4232
Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources 253-798-4600
Pierce County Coalition for Developmental Disabilities 253-564-0707
Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals
With Disabilities (TACID) V/TDD 253-565-9000
TTY 253-565-3486
WA Talking Book and Braille Library 800-542-0866
WA TBI Resource Coordination 253-572-0383
WA TDD Relay Services 711
DISASTER RESOURCES
American Red Cross 253-474-0400
BePreparedWA 253-592-0321
FEMA 800-525-0321
Salvation Army 253-572-8452
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES
Crystal Judson Family Justice Center Advocate Line 253-798-4166
Family Renewal Shelter 253-475-9010
Family Renewal Shelter 888 888-550-9315
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Safeline 253-966-7233
KWA Domestic Violence Hotline 253-359-0470
New Phoebe House Association 253-383-7710
Our Sister’s House Advocate 253-383-4275
Police 9-1-1
Rebuilding Hope, Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County 253-474-7273
Tacoma Community House Advocacy 253-383-3951
YWCA Pierce County Domestic Violence Hotline 253-383-2593
DV Shelters
YWCA: 253-383-2593
Korean Women’s Association: 253-359-0470
Family Renewal Shelter: 253-485-9010
CDVAP Puyallup Tribal Shelter: 253-680-5499
DV Legal/Advocacy
Crystal Judson Family Justice Center: 253-798-4310
YWCA: 253-365-6352
Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association: 253-572-5134
Tacoma Community House: 253-383-3951
Northwest Immigrants’ Rights Project: 206-587-4009
General Information
Pierce County Resource Line: Dial 211
we can be the difference in our communities.
LIHEAP and LIHWAP:
Pierce County Residents outside of the City of Tacoma: (855) 798-4328
City of Tacoma Residents: (253) 572-5557
Tacoma Public Utilities Energy Assistance Programs: (253) 502-8400
SHELTERS AND HYGIENE RESOURCES
United Way Helpline 2-1-1
TACID 253-565-9000
Catholic Community Center
Family Day Center
Families (defined as pregnant women and parent(s) with minor children in custody)
5050 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA 98409
General Information: 253-471-5340
Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: 9am-4pm
Wed: 12pm-6pm
No appointment necessary
Nativity House Day and Overnight Shelters
Adult men and women
702 S 14th Street
Tacoma, WA 98405
Contact: 253-502-8780
Hours
Day Shelter: 7:00 am-5:00 pm Every day, including weekends and holidays
Overnight Shelter: 5:00 pm-7:00 am Every night, including weekends and holidays
To Volunteer or donate: M-F 9-5 call: 253.365.4111 or email: meganed@ccsww.org
Jarvie Memorial Family Lodge
Emergency Family Shelter
1521 Sixth Ave
Tacoma, WA 98405
Office hours: Sunday-Monday 10:30 am-4:40 pm
Phone: 253-572-8452 Ext. 127
Tacoma Rescue Mission
Adam’s Street Family Campus
Contact for services and availability, not open to public
Phone: 253-383-4493
Email: info@trm.org
Men’s Shelter
single men experiencing homelessness
425 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA
Phone: 253-383-4493 ext. 1106
Email: info@trm.org
Hours: 3:30 pm for sign up, 6:30 pm for roll call
Women’s Emergency Shelter
unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness
425 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA
Phone: 253-383-4493 ext. 1106
Email: info@trm.org
Hours: 6:30 pm to sign up for bed, 8:00 pm roll call
HOUSING ISSUE RESOURCES
City of Tacoma housing complaints 253-591-5151
City of Tacoma downpayment assistance 253-591-5230
Housing Justice Project 253-572-5134
Rental Assistance 2-1-1
LEGAL RESOURCES
Northwest Justice Project 206-464-1519
Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution 253-572-3657
Rehmke Law Offices 253-460-3190
Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, referrals 253-383-3432
Tacoma Pro Bono 888-822-5134
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Asian Counseling Services 253-301-5250
Bi-Polar Support Group (TACID) 253-565-9000
Catholic Community Services 253-383-3697
Community Connections 253-798-4500
Crisis Line 800-576-7764
HopeSparks 253-565-4484
Comprehensive Mental Health Center 253-396-5000
DSHS Mental Health Division 800-446-0259
MultiCare Behavioral Healthcare 253-697-8400
Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare 253-581-7020
Mental Health Ombudsman 800-531-0508
Mobile Outreach Crisis Team 800-576-7764
Sea Mar Behavioral Health Center
Tacoma 253-396-1634
Puyallup 253-864-4770
Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255
TACID Mental Health Resource 253-565-9000 x20
Therapy Center (Pacific Lutheran University) 253-535-8782
Washington Warm Line 877-500-9276
Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital 253-301-5494
SUBSTANCE USE RESOURCES
Al-Anon 888-425-2666
Alcoholics Anonymous 253-474-8897
Good Samaritan Behavioral Health 253-697-8400
Sea Mar (inpatient) 253-280-9860
Tacoma Detox Unit 253-593-2413
Websites you can access resources 24/7: