PNW Plateful is a Bellingham-based nonprofit that distributes hundreds of handmade, individually-packaged meals to food banks and partner organizations across Whatcom County each week. Over their five-and-a-half years of operation, they’ve distributed more than 124,000 meals.
Founder and Executive Director Sarah Chan is also the chef and entrepreneur behind local catering business, Calypso Kitchen.
Photographed by Kristen Boehm
“I always start telling the story of PNW Plateful by starting with Calypso Kitchen, because it really all centers around how I grew up in the Caribbean,” she says. Chan grew up eating food grown in her grandmother’s backyard, which was also shared throughout their community. “One of the most important things that I learned…is you don’t waste food.”
So, whenever a Calypso Kitchen event left extra ingredients or food, Chan would look for a way to share them.
“I would ask friends, ‘Who needs this? Where should I send this?’ And within about six months, I grew a network where [friends and] organizations were calling me and asking me if I had meals that I could share with families in distress,” she recalls.
Photographed by Kristen Boehm
Realizing the need for meals went beyond what she could meet through leftovers alone, Chan launched PNW Plateful in 2019. She started out making 150 meals per week—that quickly jumped to 250, then beyond. After establishing a board of directors and gaining nonprofit status in 2022, PNW Plateful has now grown to supply between 700 and 800 meals to local organizations, including Bellingham Food Bank, Kendall Food Bank, Nooksack Food Bank, Lummi Food Bank, Birchwood Food Desert Fighters, the YWCA, and Northwest Youth Services.
Whether those meals go out in the form of frozen soups, stews, or fresh plates, the main focus is on nourishment. Balanced meals made with fresh ingredients, some donated by local producers like Lummi Island Wild, is what sets PNW Plateful apart.
Photographed by Kristen Boehm
PNW Plateful was recognized in Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center’s 2025 Peace Builder Awards with the “Health & Wellbeing Award,” “for fostering food security through care, hope, and nutritious meals.” Chan hopes that PNW Plateful will be able to grow its infrastructure and financial sustainability over the next year to better combat food insecurity in our community. 4073 Hannegan Rd., Ste. B, Bellingham, 360.527.6837, pnwplateful.com
