SNOHOMISH COUNTY—Executive Dave Somers announced on Wednesday that Snohomish County has invested nearly $3 million in the Snohomish County Food Bank Coalition. In total, the County’s investments have supported the distribution of nearly 26.5 million pounds of food. This investment comes from the County’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.
Food security was one of the top six priority areas identified in the Snohomish County Health Department’s 2022 Community Health Assessment. One in every 11 people (or about nine percent) are food insecure locally.
“Access to healthy and affordable food is the cornerstone of a thriving, vibrant community,” said Executive Somers. “I’m grateful to our partners at the Food Bank Coalition for the innovative ways they have used the County’s investment as well as the work they do every day to make sure vulnerable communities can get their basic needs met. I encourage residents and businesses across the county to support their local food bank this holiday season and year-round.”
“The County’s investment with ARPA funds in the Snohomish County Food Bank Coalition has helped to fulfill an important need. Food insecurity is clearly an issue,” said Council Chair Jared Mead (District 4). “Businesses and individuals can help make a big difference, especially during the holidays, by donating to the Coalition.”
“The holiday season can be especially difficult for those with food insecurities,” said Council Vice Chair Nate Nehring (District 1). “I am proud of Snohomish County’s investments in our local food banks and hope that our communities continue to support those making sure every family and individual has food on their plate.”
“No one should go hungry, especially during the holiday season,” said Councilmember Megan Dunn (District 2). “I’m proud that our County prioritized funding for our food banks to support our social safety net and ensure access to healthy and culturally appropriate food all year long. I encourage our residents to join me in volunteering at a local food bank or donate a small amount because hunger is not inevitable.”
“Food banks across Washington and throughout the nation are seeing record numbers of people in need—working people, the elderly, families with young kids—while donations have dropped,” said Snohomish County Councilmember Strom Peterson (District 3). “We all need to do our part to support our food banks and work on fixing the systemic issues that cause food insecurity.”
“The Lake Stevens Community Food Bank is up and running in part, due to ARPA funds allocated by Snohomish County,” said Councilmember Sam Low (District 5). “This was a major priority of mine, and I was so pleased to see its doors open this year. The Lake Stevens Community Food Bank and many others will be a blessing to Snohomish County families this holiday season and into 2024.”
The Snohomish County Food Bank Coalition is made up of 18 food banks serving nearly 655,000 residents throughout Snohomish County. Food banks rely on generous volunteer support from local community members to operate. To learn how to support the Coalition, or find your local food bank to support them directly, visit this website.
Anyone interested can find more information on the County’s food security investments on the COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard. The dashboard allows users to learn more about the County’s pandemic recovery programming, including investment areas, impacts, and the geography and demographics of those the County serves.
Executive Somers established the Office of Recovery and Resilience to guide the County’s recovery work by ensuring federal pandemic relief is administered quickly, effectively, and equitably. Information on the County’s recovery work can be found at https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/Recovery
SOURCE: Snohomish County Government
