EDMONDS—When Nourishing Network, a Foundation for Edmonds School District program, first launched in 2014 they served 80 food-insecure kids meals on weekends, over the course of the schoolyear. It was a pipedream, at the time, to eventually grow the program into serving up to 300 students long term – an ambitious vision the team struggled to figure out logistically but were, nevertheless, up for the challenge.
This year, in an unprecedented and a staggering turn of events, the Foundation for Edmonds School District’s Nourishing Network is on track to serve up to 1,000 kids, all from food insecure families who rely upon free, or reduced priced, meals at public school as their primary source of nutrition.
It’s a number both deeply rewarding and deeply concerning, said Thame Fuller, Community Director for Nourishing Network. On one hand, it showcases just how much a grassroots organization can pull off with the right partnerships and community support. On the other hand, it sheds light on how dire the region’s food insecurity, and economic struggles impact residents each, and every, day.
“It hurts to see the lives of students and families who have already been struggling with food insecurity get even more difficult, but it is wonderful to see the generosity of our community rising to meet the increased challenge. I am thankful I get to help connect those who are eager to give with those who need support right now,” Fuller told the Lynnwood Times.
As of Friday, November 7, Nourishing Network has 621 students registered to receive weekend meals each week. Considering the school year is just three months in (and the Nourishing Network begins each year with a blank slate), as well as considering past years’ data trends, this number is projected to hit close to 1,000 by the end of the year as more families sign up.
For example, in just one day, from Thursday, November 6, to the publication of this article on Friday, November 7, 60 more students have signed up for the weekend meals program. There are still 137 days left in the school year.
This is by far the most students Nourishing Network has ever served, even during the pandemic-driven shutdown (when public schools were closed) by more than double. Yet while the need for food is greater than ever before, the cost of groceries continues to rise, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Index who reported a 3.5 percent increase in groceries over the year– driven by national inflation, potential tariffs, and state taxes. Meanwhile, a recent UW survey reported 55% of Washingtonian families suffered some sort of food insecurity just last year.
“Now more than ever, children and families in the Edmonds School District are turning to the Foundation’s Nourishing Network for help,” said Deborah Brandi, Foundation for Edmonds School District executive director. “We’re seeing a 33% increase in students served compared to this time last year, and the cost of food is up 22%. Every dollar and every can of food truly matters right now. We’re asking our community to step forward to help keep shelves stocked and students nourished so they can continue to learn and thrive.”
At Edmonds Heights K-12 in Edmonds, where Nourishing Network has set up its food pantry, the program’s storage space is ever expanding.
When the Nourishing Network first launched, the K-12 school-parent partnership campus generously provided an unused utility closet to be used to store food – which, at the time, was donated by local nonprofits, faith groups, and rotary clubs. Over the years, as Nourishing Network’s capacity and volume increased, so did its storage; from a single utility closet to a detached shed, to an administrative office, to now an entire unused shower and locker room turned warehouse – pallets of shelf-stable foods as far as the eye can see.
But through it all, no matter how many children sign up for Nourishing Network’s weekend, or summer meals, the program has never once stopped to think if they should put a cap on the children it serves, Community Director Thame Fuller told the Lynnwood Times, staying true to its original vision of ensuring students and families in the district have consistent access to nutritious food, particularly during out-of-school times.
“I’m happy to report that we’ve never once had to say we didn’t have enough food for a child,” said Fuller. “We’ve come close a couple of times, but we’ve always made it work.”
Fuller chalks it up to the incredible “network” of community partners Nourishing Network has amassed over the years including Whole Foods, North Sound Church, Verdant Health Commission, Hazel Miller Foundation, Safeco Insurance, and local municipalities to name a few.
While Nourishing Network continues its weekend meal program to this day, its capacity has grown in more ways than just the children it serves, expanding into a summer meals program, holiday meal kits, and even at-home delivery to meet kids where they are.
The at-home delivery model was originally implemented during the COVID-19 outbreak, when schools were shut down, but Nourishing Network has continued to deliver after noticing a greater number of participants, with children not having to worry about the stigma of picking up a free meal at school, in front of their friends and peers.
Though the focus remains on food insecure children, the program holds pop-up pantries across seven different locations where they distribute household items for the entire family. These items include hygiene products, feminine products, paper products, food, and even clothing.
Nourishing Network heavily relies on volunteerism to stay afloat in its operations with volunteers working Thursday through Friday processing, packaging, and delivering roughly 8,400 food items a week.
Just last year Nourishing Network distributed nearly 133,000 pounds of food in the form of 16,957 weekend meal kits, 5,278 free lunches for children over the summer, 83,832 food items at its pop-up pantries, and 920 complete holiday meals over winter break.
But the need for both volunteers and donations has never been greater.
Food insecurity drastically impacts a student’s ability to learn, according to the National Library of Medicine, adversely affecting a child’s ability to perform on tests, and retain and process information. In addition, hungry students have also been linked to irritability and aggression leading to school fights and problems at home, as well as contributing to generational cycles of poverty.
For Nourishing Network, providing free meals to students is more than just feeding a hungry mouth, it’s an investment for the future by setting today’s children up for success to be tomorrow’s leaders.
To volunteer at the Nourishing Network click here. To donate food, money, or resources click here.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
