COVID-19 has left 1.6 million people in Washington state struggling to put food on the table. The need is especially high in parts of Seattle and South King County. For many communities facing food insecurity, their situation has been made even more challenging with meal and food bank programs impacted… [ Keep reading ]
For many communities facing food insecurity, COVID-19 has made a challenging situation even more difficult with meal and food bank programs impacted by the crisis. A number of food banks have reduced hours or their volunteers are not able to come in to help like they did before. Other programs face shortages of food resources. To meet this growing need in Seattle and surrounding communities, the City of Seattle partnered with the National Guard at the request of service providers. Locally, the National Guard has stepped up to fill gaps in our food network by offering the assistance of hundreds of members in Food Lifeline‘s SODO distribution center and at several food banks in the region. Even with all of these helping hands, some of our smaller community-based programs struggle to keep up with their usual activities, not to mention the increased demands brought on by this public health emergency. After re-deploying staff to support shifts in the City’s de-intensifying shelters at Miller and Garfield community centers, and working to open additional shelter capacity around the city, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) has been working to find ways to ensure these important food programs can also continue to operate. This month, we began re-deploying HSD employees to support shifts ranging from food preparation and cooking, to assembling bags and packaging meals, to line management and delivering food directly to vulnerable clients in their homes. Some of our staff who are vulnerable themselves are taking on administrative tasks that can be completed remotely from their homes. We gathered photos and reflections from some of their recent work with South Park Senior Center’s senior meal program…
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced that the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) will invest more than $7 million in assistance to local programs that support food access and nutrition for older adults and people experiencing homelessness throughout Seattle and King County. This funding is made possible by federal funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Families First Coronavirus Response Act. These funds provide additional support for a variety of programs, including meal delivery to older adults and meals in shelters serving people experiencing homelessness. HSD’s Aging and Disability Services will expand existing food delivery programs and shift to a home delivery program model to facilitate appropriate physical distancing and meet older residents where they are. These home deliveries to particularly vulnerable individuals can serve as wellness checks while maintaining physical distance. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity issues that impact some of our most vulnerable residents, including older adults and people experiencing homelessness. At the City, we need to do everything we can to help vulnerable communities access healthy and affordable meals,” said Mayor Durkan. “The incredible agencies the City of Seattle partners with are committed to meeting the food needs of our community members and closing the gaps in food access. I’m grateful for these agencies and their staff for their work to serve some of Seattle’s most vulnerable communities.”
Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 public health crisis, the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department continues to live out its mission: To connect people with resources and solutions during times of need so we can all live, learn, work, and take part in strong, healthy communities. The work the department does has changed dramatically, with many employees stepping up to meet new challenges, volunteering, and working long hours. Here is a recap of what the team has been up to.
For many communities facing food insecurity, COVID-19 has made a challenging situation even more difficult with meal and food bank programs impacted by the crisis. A number of food banks have reduced hours or their volunteers are not able to come in to help like they did before. Other programs face shortages of food resources. The City of Seattle is committed to meeting this community need. The Seattle Human Services Department and Office of Sustainability and Environment have been working to find ways to ensure these important food programs can continue to operate during this time of great need in communities across Seattle. The City has been working with the National Guard—which can deploy hundreds of servicemembers to help work at food banks and deliver supplies—and service providers to meet this growing need in Seattle and surrounding communities. These servicemembers are often deployed to natural disasters to offer a helping hand. The National Guard is doing just that in Seattle by stepping up to fill in the gaps in our food network.
The Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division of the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the availability of up to $111,686 of Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) funding for the 2020 Geographic Specific – Delridge, Georgetown, South Park – Food Bank Services Request for Proposal (RFP).
The year has kept the Seattle Human Services Department busy, presenting many challenges, opportunities, and reasons to celebrate! As we enter 2020, lets take a moment and look at 19 highlights from ‘19 that demonstrate the incredible work our teams have accomplished together – and with your partnership – over the last year:
The Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division of the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is seeking applications from consultants interested in developing a public awareness campaign about sugary drinks by supporting two strategies recommended by the Sweetened Beverage Tax Community Advisory Board: Up to $473,046 in 2019 and $236,523 in 2020 of contract funds are available through this RFP. Funding awards will be made for the period of October 15, 2019 to December 31, 2020, for an estimated 15-month contract, or until work is completed.
The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the 2019 Farm to Preschool and Out-of-School Time Request for Proposals (RFP) that closed on July 1. Applicants were invited to support food procurement, food equity, and connections between Washington State farmers and Seattle public preschools and before and after school programs serving low-income children and families in Seattle. The RFP guides the investment of more than $200,000, including funding from Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT). HSD received a single application which was reviewed by a committee whose members recommended fully funding the proposal from Farmstand Local Foods, which has a strong background in implementing a food ordering and delivery program that provides affordable, nutritious, and wholesome produce from farm to preschool and OST programs.
The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the 2019 Food and Nutrition Part I Request for Proposals (RFP) that closed on April 11. Applicants were invited to provide food and support the system of food delivery to low-income individuals and families in Seattle who are experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, hunger. The RFP guides the investment of more than $4 million of funding in Seattle’s Emergency Food System through two strategies – Food Security & Access and Food System Support. HSD received 33 eligible applications from organizations that were invited to apply to one or both strategies.
