Mayor’s budget increases support for emergency food
Mayor urges residents to support local food banks

SEATTLE – At the Rainier Valley Food Bank today, Mayor Greg Nickels highlighted his budget proposal to increase financial support for emergency food and meals programs, and encouraged Seattle residents to donate and volunteer at their local food banks.

“Food is a fundamental human right,” said Nickels. “As families and individuals struggle to make ends meet in a difficult economy, we want to make sure that no family, no person goes hungry in Seattle.”

The Mayor’s proposed 2009-2010 budget will provide an additional $555,000 in funding for emergency food, including home delivery of food ($100,000 in each year), bulk food buying ($140,000 in each year), and food distribution ($75,000 one time capital funding).

The city of Seattle provides $3 million a year for emergency food, including food banks, food distribution and transportation programs, indoor and outdoor meals, and food home delivery.

“We thank the mayor and the City of Seattle for their support of our food bank program,” said Gwen Mitchell, agency director of the 17-year-old Rainier Valley Food Bank. “In less than six months the number of clients we serve each month has nearly doubled from 5,000 to over 9,000.  We expect the holidays will see an increase in clients and today are encouraging everyone to donate money or time to their neighborhood food bank.”

The Rainier Valley Food Bank, formerly known as Northwest Community Services Food Bank, provides food to families in need in the Rainier Valley and southeast Seattle. With the recent closure of another food bank in southeast Seattle the number of food bank clients has increased.

“As Thanksgiving and the holidays approach, the need is especially strong, but food banks and food programs need your help throughout the year,” said Nickels. “I urge Seattle residents to get involved and volunteer or donate to your local food bank.”

In addition to emergency food programs, the Seattle Human Services Department funds other critically needed food programs, including:

Child Care Nutrition Program: a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded program, operated by the Human Services Department that is an extension of the USDA School Lunch Program. The program helps licensed home-based child care providers plan for and provide nourishing meals to more than 3,000 children, infants through age 11, in 180 child care homes in greater Seattle.

Summer Food Service Program: also known as Summer Sack Lunch, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the summer of 2008, we served a total of 242,740 nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks for up to 5,641 children per day at more than 100 sites. Most of the sites are in Central, Southeast and Southwest Seattle.

• Food programs for seniors and immigrants/refugees: Through a combination of federal, state, and city funding, the Human Services Department provides food programs, including congregate meals, home-delivered meals and farmers’ market vouchers for seniors and meal programs for immigrants and refugees.The Congregate Meals Program for seniors provides nutritional meals, nutrition education and social and fitness activities to adults 60 and over in a group setting.

The Rainier Valley Food Bank:

• Provides food for 9,000 people each month, including 3,000 children and 2,900 seniors.
• Serves a diverse clientele including seniors, children, persons with disabilities, and homeless people.
• Provides healthy food options as much as possible.
• In 2007, distributed 800,000 pounds of food.
• In 2008, on target to distribute 1.4 million pounds of food with the same budget.

Get the Nickels Newsletter and the mayor’s inside view on transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities at mayor.seattle.gov

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Office of the Mayor