WHITE CENTER EMERGENCY FOOD ASSOCIATION

SEATTLE, Washington, 98166-1984 United States

Mission Statement

Our mission is to minimize hunger while nourishing community, nurturing self-reliance, and embracing our rich cultural diversity

About This Cause

White Center Food Bank (WCFB) is a woman-of-color led organization, serving residents of Seattle, White Center, Burien and South King County. The customers we serve are unique and important to the fabric of our community. Over the years, White Center as a geographic area has been subject to many changes in its micro-economic climate from influxes and growth of various immigrant groups to periods of rebirth in its business core. The White Center community is one of the most diverse and underserved areas in Washington State. With a median household income of $61,750 (2020 Census) compared with the median household income in King County of $99,158 (King County Communities Count via American Community Survey), it is evident that our community is dramatically falling behind other, more affluent neighborhoods. With rents rising and grocery spending surging, there’s little left for other basic needs. White Center Food Bank’s work is critical to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry or is forced to choose between paying for food and paying for other vital expenses like healthcare or childcare. Ever since the Great Recession, food banks across the nation shifted from providing emergency food to now serving as a source of long-term supplemental food for individuals and families. Due to COVID-19 and a widening wealth gap there is a heightened need for our services. We have seen a 60-100% increase in customers since the pandemic started. On a busy day in 2019, we would serve 75-80 households. In 2023, we regularly see 125-150 families – and some days over 160. We do not foresee this number dropping as food prices are skyrocketing due to inflation and dramatic cuts to SNAP/food stamp benefits result in more customers than ever are coming through our doors. In 2022, we served over 28,000 households, 95,000 individuals, and distributed over 1.3 million pounds of food. All of our on-site food distribution services are delivered in a welcoming environment based on a grocery store model. This model serves our community in a respectful and culturally-appropriate way, allowing customers to select the specific items they and their families want and need. Over 75% of those we serve are communities of color and many speak languages other than English. White Center Food Bank employs several multi-lingual intake staff who have longstanding trusted relationships with communities and speak nine languages (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Khmer/Cambodian, Shanghainese, and Chaozhou) – some have worked at White Center Food Bank for over a decade. These relationships create a family-like atmosphere, where we are not simply helping people access food, but providing a safe, friendly environment where people feel at home. In 2022, 630 unique individuals volunteered, dedicating over 14,000 hours to our organization, which is equivalent to approximately 7 FTE, and demonstrates that our community is behind us for this work to keep the community fed. Here is a video that describes our services through the lens of our customers, staff and volunteers: https://vimeo.com/750539860/511d0b964c

WHITE CENTER EMERGENCY FOOD ASSOCIATION
126 Sw 148Th St Ste C100, Box 97
SEATTLE, Washington 98166-1984
United States
Phone 206-686-7965
Unique Identifier 911167830