The Y Stands with The Storm and Swedish against Hunger and Inequity in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Last updated: August 7, 2020, at 4:36 p.m. PT
Originally published: July 23, 2020, at 3:20 p.m. PT
The Y of Greater Seattle has been selected by the Seattle Storm and Swedish as the Community Champion for the week of August 10th for our work assisting the public in fighting the COVID 19-pandemic and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
We’re proud to stand as part of the home team in the fight against childhood hunger.
One in six kids experiences hunger in King County and more than 400,000 kids in Washington qualify for free lunch at their schools.
Year-round, the Y provides meals and snacks to thousands of kids but now, at a time when resources for many families who were already vulnerable are shrinking and uncertain, access to healthy food is even harder. During this pandemic, we're meeting people where they are and getting innovative with our own resources to meet this unfunded, increased demand.
We have expanded our Hunger Initiatives to ensure kids and families have access to healthy meals and snacks. We are working hand in hand with community partner organizations and with Y members and donors, to make sure no kid goes hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Already, we’ve distributed 260,000 meals to vulnerable children and families at more than 60 sites across King County.
Combating Hunger in Partnership
Closing the hunger gap requires partners, and at the Y, we are proud to work alongside a network of providers such as United Way of King County, local school districts, regional food banks, FareStart, county & city housing authorities, Affordable Housing Communities, Feed Ministries, Microsoft, local restaurants and more. By working with these partners, we create a safety net of programs across the region to end hunger.
Video: See What Community Members are Saying
The Y is Making an Impact
One of our partners with Compass Housing Alliance shared their appreciation of our partnership and how it has benefitted 25 Ronald Commons households who have received a total of 2,700 sack lunches over a 45-day period at the height of the pandemic.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to each of you for your role in bringing food security to Ronald Commons during this scary, unprecedented time. The true meaning of partnership in community was evident throughout. You are my heroes!" — Ronald Commons Staff
Parents across our region who are receiving support from our critical meal programs have also shared their appreciation.
"Food banks have only been able to provide us canned goods, and we could not afford fresh items like fruit and vegetables. The Y has been a blessing to us as they have been able to get us the fresh food we desperately needed." - Community Member
We are also now working with Ethan Stowell restaurants to provide meals to King County senior living communities in South King County, a population that would not normally qualify for our hunger programs, but who are in great need.
The crisis isn't over. We will continue to show up for the kids and families of our region through our meal programs, but we need continued help to do that. Ongoing investments are needed to sustain these critical feeding programs for the health and healing of our region.