Mission
The mission of The Food Source Foundation (TFSF) is to address the growing problem of food insecurity in the greater Olympia area and beyond. The cost of living has become so high that many people, even those with full time jobs, don’t have enough money to afford food. Many of these neighbors are not able to get food assistance (SNAP and WIC) because they are making just above the required income. Due to the dramatic increase in rent, utilities, insurance, food and other necessities, people are being priced out of their basic needs. By the time the basic bills are paid people have no money left for food. Of course there are a lot of other people in our community who fall between the cracks and we’ll be here for them as well.
There is not so much a lack of available food as there is limited food distribution. There are resources for food for larger institutions that include, food banks, religious groups, farms, restaurants and grocery stores, but this distribution takes time, planning, volunteers, a smart distribution system and of course operating costs. There are some groups in place that distribute food to individuals, like our local food bank, but there hours are limited, especially for those who are employed and can’t take a few hours off work to go to the food bank.
The ability to get grants and cash contributions is crucial. My hope is that The Food Source Foundation will be able to fill the gaps that the local government is not filling. People often have mobility problems or have medical appointments that clash with their ability to pick up food. So, my vision for The Food Source Foundation is to fill in the “distribution cracks” to make sure that whoever needs healthy food will have access to it.
The Food Source Foundation does not require financial records, addresses or anything else in order to get food. It will be available to all community members without restriction. We believe food is a basic human right and that everyone deserves healthy food. We do not subscribe to any religious or political doctrine as hunger and need do not discriminate.
Letter from the Director
On September 1oth, 2023 I started a group called Souper Sunday. The idea felt like a calling and listening to and acting upon it has been the best decision of my life. The idea was to make soup for my community for free and that would really do something special. Soup is available to anyone and is not limited by income, race, orientation, country of origin or anything else. The group really took off after grass roots interest, some press and then a news story that has garnered 1.5 million views. It became obvious that people needed something that gave them hope and fed their bellies and their hunger for connection. The soup group was like a breaking of bread for our community.
As the group developed I I began to see a need above and beyond soup. So I began distributing free groceries to food insecure neighbors. And the need manifested in a way I had not expected. We all know that there is food insecurity amongst the homeless, disabled and low income segments of our community, but I was surprised at how many of the people coming to me for food support were fully employed. They have been priced out of their basic needs by high rent, a car payment, insurance and basic bills. A large number of hard working community members literally had no money left for food after the most basic bills, yet they made too much for government food assistance. I realized that this was something that must be addressed.
So, in December of 2024 I established The Food Source Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit with the mission of addressing the growing food insecurity in our community. Operating as an individual I had to turn down a lot of financial support. The Food Source Foundation will allow me to get the support we really need. We can accept grants, cash donations from individuals, cash from banks, credit unions, local businesses, food from grocery stores and restaurants etc. Having the non-profit status allows these entities to write off their contributions and increase the number of community members we can serve.
The Food Source Foundation will work with other groups in the area to fill in gaps in the distribution system, for example making food available on weekends, and to supply smaller altruistic group with food and supplies to distribute directly to the end users.
Please consider getting involved. This link will take you to our donation portal which does not charge any fees on incoming funding. This means that 100% of your donation will go directly to support us.
Thank you for your interest and please contact me directly with questions, comments or feedback!
Chris S. Hyde
