Helpline House’s expanded facility expected to open in June
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Bainbridge Island’s Helpline House is hoping to open its new facility by June.
The food bank’s new home on Knechtel Way will expand from roughly 7,000 to 12,000 square feet. The new market will be able to accommodate up to 10 shoppers at a time, compared to 3-4 at its current facility on Hildebrand Lane.
“We will be providing the same variety of non-perishable and fresh food offerings, but with more space in which to store them in the warehouse space, walk-ins, refrigerators/freezers, and then feature them in the market. We have never had the option of walk-in refrigeration before, so this is wonderful. Specifically, we secured the design that we can load in the back, allowing folks to ‘shop’ by opening the doors in the front, so we are able to keep the freshest food moving out the door and into homes of folks who need it efficiently,” Helpline House communications and development manager, Erica Beyer, said.
The new space will also have nine social service offices, compared to three meeting spaces at the current facility, providing more capacity and privacy. In 2025, Helpline House served over 2,265 individuals and had about 16,050 food bank visits.
“This new facility has the capacity for more, and we have welcomed many new shoppers based on competing economic needs (gas, utilities, insurance, etc.), so I would estimate that we will see in the range of 3,500 individuals going forward,” Beyer said.
