A group of concerned people started the Food Bank in 1983, to make sure that neighbors in need did not go hungry. Back then they were called the Junction Community Food Bank (JCFB) and they distributed food from the old Jefferson School. Without a permanent home, the Food Bank moved many times, operating out of churches and schools. Then in 1989 they were finally able to lease a site on SW Genesee near Fauntleroy and settled in there for the next 18 years.

During this time, there was another agency, called the West Seattle Food Bank, which was located in the High Point neighborhood. When they closed in 1998 due to financial troubles, they started distributing food to that area and also picked up their home delivery program. In 1999, the JCFB changed its name to the West Seattle Food Bank (WSFB).

They are now serving thousands of people a year out of their small leased Genesee site, but there was no place for clients to get out of the rain and cold while waiting to get food and they couldn’t take full advantage of bulk shipments. The dream of a permanent home where they could increase the range and amount of food to distribute was always in their minds.