About Us

Now in our 35th year, Women & Children’s Free Restaurant & Community Kitchen is a vital safety net that fills nutritional gaps for women and children in need while fostering dignity and respect, both within our restaurant and in the community. WCFR is two-time AGORA award winner for nonprofit excellence. In March of 2020, we made a transformative shift to address the growing need for nutritional support in our community. Since that time, we have provided more than 3.4 million meals to women and children in need of nutritional support.

WCFR serves women, children, seniors, and teens who struggle with nutrition insecurity and poverty that stem from a range of root causes. COVID-19 has affected our entire community, but data shows women are disproportionately impacted by the financial crisis prompted by the pandemic. Women’s employment re-stabilization will lag years behind that of men, making our services more vital than any time during our 35-year history.

We also prepare nutritious meals for organizations throughout the community, working collaboratively with agencies providing housing, shelter services, domestic violence assistance, child care and protection, and LGBTQ+ support. These unique partnerships connect our most vulnerable citizens with basic needs and healthy options for improved quality of life.

Safety, dignity, self-sufficiency, and mutual respect are vital components of our services. We’re committed to helping create a vibrant and robust community and future. Food insecurity is defined as having unreliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. In Spokane County, this problem affects at least 75,000 people – 15% of our residents and about 1 in 5 children.

As grateful stewards of our community’s generosity, we ask you to consider becoming a WCFR event attendee, donor, volunteer - or all three. Every dollar makes a difference and every hour of your time represents a nonrenewable gift of lasting impact. Let’s work together to solve hunger in our community.