South Kitsap Helpline’s food bank has moved to a new location at 4215 Mile Hill Dr. in Port Orchard. On Jan. 14, the nonprofit will celebrate the opening of its new location, coinciding with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house event.
Some aspects of the new building include a commercial kitchen, a community room for events, and even plans for a community cafe in the near future. “We went from about 2,200 square feet to just under 8,500 square feet,” said director of SK Helpline, Jennifer Hardison. “We were pretty much bursting at the seams, so now there’s a lot of opportunity with this new space.”
With the addition of a commercial kitchen, SK Helpline will be able to provide more meals for the community. “We’re working on replacing the kitchen equipment this winter, and eventually we’ll be processing a lot of the foods that we get in bulk that we’re not able to give out here [at our previous location],” said Hardison. “Sometimes we’ll get a pallet load of dried lentils from our commodities program, and unless people have a way to cook dried lentils, they won’t take them. A lot of things that go to waste will be able to be utilized in this new space.”
During the nationwide government shutdown this past fall, SK helpline was seeking record demand. With new exposure to the food bank after the increased number of customers, the relocation will significantly increase the number of people that SK Helpline is able to serve.
“We saw our numbers increase dramatically during October, and some of these folks stayed on through November and December,” Hardison said. “There were a lot of people that hadn’t needed help before, that were unexpectedly connected with us.”
The new location on Mile Hill Dr. used to be a restaurant, providing SK helpline with a wider variety of ways to provide. Hardison shared that a hot meals program is in the works, as well as the possibility of catering to help raise money through Helpline’s programs.
The food bank was at its previous location on Mitchell Ave. for 15 years before moving to the new space Nov. 17, 2025. “South Kitsap Helpline’s move has been in the works for years,” said Hardison. “We are only here because of a legislative appropriation from Sen. Patty Murray. That was what helped fund our building in full, which is pretty incredible.”
Hardison and the rest of the team at SK Helpline gave acknowledgement and thanks to those who made the move “A dream come true. “A lot of the kitchen equipment that we’re going to be replacing is coming from another legislative appropriation that Sen. Emily Randall and Washington State Rep. Michelle Caldier sponsored us for.”
SK helpline is located in central Port Orchard and is accessible to the entire community, open four days a week. “The amount of people we’re able to help now has significantly increased,” said Hardison. “We’re really excited to see what happens in the future with the space.”
