Our neighbors need help this holiday season. Here’s where to donate food

As the holiday season nears, prices are up, the federal government remains shut down, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been in turmoil, food banks are reporting longer lines than ever.

Local restaurants jumped into action last week to support SNAP participants and any neighbor in need with free food and drink. Some are also taking donations to further the cause, while they and other small businesses around Tacoma and Pierce County have planned food and toy drives.

The Hoppy Holiday Food Drive returns for its seventh year. Catie and John Douville have organized the annual food drive with local breweries in a good-natured competition in support of Emergency Food Network. Each brewery collects food at their locations; then, on Dec. 2, the Douvilles host a final collection party at Peaks & Pints, where guests can drop last-minute cans into the brewery bin of their choice. The winner (with the highest overall weight) gets a custom tap handle, just for fun. It’s led to more than 5,000 pounds of food each year.

Also back for another round is Pierce County Dine & Donate, organized by Jen Selvaggia, a local hospitality veteran and co-founder of Ehko App, which connects workers with restaurants for fill-in shifts. George’s Bonney Lake Tavern sent more than $1,000 and 450 pounds of food from a Thanksgiving Eve donation night, and will host one again this year. Other participating restaurants will be announced on the Ehko website next week.

EFN also directly accepts monetary and non-perishable food donations. Among the most requested are peanut and other nut butters, canned fruits and veggies (especially low-sugar or low-sodium), canned chilis and stews (pop-top lids preferred), canned proteins (e.g. chicken, tuna, SPAM), and baby food and formula.

Here’s a running list of holiday food drives in and around Tacoma, Puyallup and Gig Harbor and details, where available, of preferred items and the receiving nonprofit. If we missed one, email us, call us, or message TNT Diner on Instagram, and we’ll add it here.

Hoppy Holiday Food Drive

• Participating Breweries: 7 Seas Brewing, E9 Brewing Co. and E9 Firehouse, Incline Cider House, Narrows Brewing, Camp Colvos Brewing, Sig Brewing Co., Wet Coast Brewing, Evergreen State Brewing, Odd Otter Brewing Co., North 47 Brewing Co., Cockrell Cider, Fierce County Cider
• Nov 4-Dec. 2: donate non-perishables or make a monetary donation to the brewery’s “weight”
• Final count at Peaks & Pints: Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. — plus raffle tickets for brewery swag

Holiday food drives at local businesses around Tacoma

• Emergency Food Network: 3318 92nd St., Lakewood, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.: “everything but the turkey” shelf-stable foods
• United Way of Pierce County, 1501 Pacific Ave.: “everything but the turkey” shelf-stable foods
• Lakewood Police Fallen Officers: Nov. 19, 9401 Lakewood Dr. SW, non-perishables, make appointments to donate blood and honor fallen officers
• Union Salon: 708 Opera Alley, non-perishables including baby formula, pantry staples (pasta, whole grains like bulgur and couscous)
• Noble Studio: Courthouse Square, 1102 A St., non-perishables
• Salon Rise: 5005 Center St., non-perishables, new toys, new blankets, cell phones (restored to factory settings), toiletries, diapers/wipes, menstrual products, grocery gift cards — supporting Crystal Judson Family Justice Center for victims of domestic violence
• Sanford & Sons, Middle Floor Merchants: Antique Row, non-perishables plus pet supplies, diapers, laundry soap, toiletries — Nov. 14-16 “shop and drop” supporting Eloise’s Cooking Pot
• Grit City Books: 3116 6th Ave., add donations to your purchase, sent weekly to Nourish Pierce County in November
• Leavitt Group Northwest, Zog’s on Fox Island, Pure Barre Gig Harbor: non-perishables for Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank, 4303 Burnham Dr.

Holiday food drives at restaurants around Tacoma

• Grann: 2715 6th Ave., non-perishables for holiday meals (receive $5 off bill for donating)
• Thirsty Hound Drinkery: 1905 Bridgeport Way (UP), non-perishables, will drop-off weekly to local food banks
• Millville Pizza Co.: 3409 Harborview Dr. (Gig Harbor), Food Backpacks 4 Kids — baking supplies such as flour, sugar, baking oils, baking powder and soda, extracts, chocolate chips, etc. (receive a raffle ticket for a $100 gift card for donating)
• Boss Mama’s Kitchen & Steilacoom Taproom: 1615 Lafayette St., Thanksgiving sides and dessert supplies including butter, crispy onions, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, instant mashed potatoes, pudding boxes, graham cracker pie crusts, canned olives — Nov. 13, 4:30-7:30 p.m., supporting BASH Food Bank
• The Windmill Bistro: 16009 60th St. E A (Sumner), non-perishables — supporting Sumner Food Bank (receive half-off mimosas with 3+ items in November)

This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 5:30 AM.