The Ballard Food Bank has seen an 11 percent increase in clients compared to the first quarters of 2008 and 2009, and organizers there only expect that number to continue to climb.

Today they are serving just under 1,000 people each week and have distributed 478,485 pounds of food to 3,510 people who’ve been served 17,679 times.

“That’s a significant number,” Nancy McKinney, executive director of Ballard Food Bank said. “We’re seeing instead of the six to 700 people a week it’s just under 1,000. That’s a lot of people to get through in eight hours."

The Ballard Food Bank serves people from the Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne neighborhoods, along with some, mostly homeless, who are out of their coverage zip codes.

McKinney said their need in the area has definitely increased due to the recession. Currently, the clientele breaks down like this: one percent children 2 years and under; 14 percent children 3 to 18 years old; 62 percent 19 to 54 years old; and 24 percent 55 and over.

“We’re (also) delivering food to 85 to 90 homebound individuals and recovering groceries from all of the local grocery stores in Ballard and Magnolia,” McKinney said.

In hopes of preventing a lot of edible food from going to landfills, McKinney said she wants the community to understand the partnership the food bank has with neighborhood grocery stores, many of which donate food that would otherwise be thrown away.

However, even with the generous donations and 100 or more volunteers that help out the Ballard Food Bank, McKinney is running out of space in the 3,500 square foot building, 7001 24th Ave. N.W.

“We’re lacking capacity because of our building,” she said. “It’s not our ability to get food and volunteers-we’ve run out of storage space.”

McKinney said she's looking to relocate in a non-residential area in Ballard. A location, twice the size of the current building, has been identified but there are still land-use limitations yet to be figured out with the city.

McKinney is also not sure the food bank could afford a larger space. But thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor and three local churches, the food bank currently has enough money set aside for necessary cooling equipment.

Now they just need a building, McKinney said.

“I’m hoping to get a meeting set up with the city because it’s an older building and may require a sprinkler system and retro-seismic improvements,” she said. “We’re considered a community center so we go by different rules than if we were just a warehouse.”

Time is running out, though, especially after the food bank's offsite freezer recently broke.

“That’s a whole other expense to tear it apart and get rid of it, we’re still trying to figure out what to do with it,” McKinney said.

McKinney said the community can help by donating hygiene and clothing items.

“We’re seeing more people coming for clothing and hygiene items, such as shampoo, deodorant and razors,” she said.

McKinney said the bank greatly appreciates the support they have been given by their many volunteers.

With only 2.3 people actually on staff, McKinney said it’s amazing what’s being accomplished with just them and the 10, 260 volunteer hours they’ve had this year.

“We appreciate all the groups of volunteers, but the folks that live in the neighborhood, invest in the neighborhood and work full-time are the most dedicated and loyal volunteers,” McKinney said. “Those folks are usually doing the higher level work, such as working at the referral desk, getting and delivering donations and more."