OPINION: Hunger doubles down amidst COVID
My family and I sit in Washington State. We are in King County and near the city of Woodinville. There are numerous food banks in the state, county and city and like your own community, there is not a single entity that isn’t being oversubscribed and under provisioned.
The Washington Food Fund tells us that “an estimated 1.6 million Washingtonians are at risk of not having enough food to eat. That is double the number of people than before the virus outbreak.” The population of Washington State is 7.5 million, you do the math. Approximately 21+ percent of Washingtonians are food insecure, today.
It is the same across our nation.
We’ve all seen the cars lined up 10,000 of them waiting for food in San Antonio, and the miles of vehicles waiting for food in Pittsburgh. This is a national issue.
What follows is how you can help. If you are in Woodinville or environs – read the portion about Woodinville. If you are a Washingtonian, read about the efforts being made state-wide. If you are from beyond Washington State, seek out your local food bank, they need you.
Rest assured, the food banks/pantries in our area and yours need help now.
My call to action for you today is to search out your local food bank and give.
Time – are you able to assist at the facility directly?
Goods – are you able to purchase any of their “most needed” items and drop them off for inclusion in their food boxes/bags?
Money – donated funds allow the entities to fill their coffers with the food items needed today
Woodinville
Woodinville is a city and a zip code. We don’t reside within the city, but like all in the greater-Woodinville area what the city does effects all of us.
On Tuesday, 07 April 2020, the Woodinville City Council put their community needs front and center. Let me encapsulate how.
Woodinville Councilwoman – Rachel Best-Campbell recommended a grant to the Woodinville Storehouse Food Bank and the Northshore Senior Center (pop-up food pantry) as deserving and needing assistance. I reached out to her and she encapsulated her thoughts succinctly, “I’d like to underscore food instability while acute right now, while cities such as Woodinville would be well served to continue this “human services” grants beyond this immediate crisis.” She is correct, in Washington State, 9.6% of the population on any given day suffers food insecurity. Today with the thousands of Washingtonians out of work, the numbers have increased exponentially. Her recommendation to the City Council is in this three minute video clip.
To be clear, Woodinville is in a unique position, with over $20 million in the bank and no debt, they are in excellent fiscal shape, with an extraordinary city manager in Brandon Buchanan. I asked Mayor Elaine McKay-Cook about Woodinville’s plans going forward and she told me, “We want to find a way to give to those in need – we know that businesses are in crisis, and our community has need to feed their families. Our first donation to Woodinville Storehouse Food Bank is $50,000, we plan to continue to help.”
The City Council voted to provide human services grants in the amount of $50,000 to the Northshore Senior Center to suppor their food pantry program and $50,000 to the Woodinville Storehouse Food Bank.
Food Pantry at the Northshore Senior Center
The Food Pantry at the Northshore Senior Center needs donations. You may call 425-286-2441 to arrange to drop off any of the items listed below or click here to donate to the center.
Woodinville Storehouse Food Bank
The Woodinville Storehouse Food Bank, is supported by a number of local churches, and also needs your donations. You may call 425-483-5252 to arrange to drop off any of the items listed below or click here to donate to the center. They need Hamburger helper; Rice a Roni; Chili or Canned ravioli; Small jars of peanut butter; Pasta (long thin packages); Pasta sauce (cans); and Cereal, They are putting together carts for pickup by those in need.
Washington State
“By coming together and contributing to this fund, we can meet this crushing demand across the state and help our neighbors and their families put a meal on the table” – Governor Jay Inslee
While the two entities above are helping those in the vicinity of Woodinville, the state as a whole is in a food insecurity crisis. To assist in ameliorating the crisis, the Washington Food Fund has been created. Think of the Washington Food Fund as a one-stop donation point for Northwest Harvest, Food Lifeline and 2nd Harvest (click on any of the links to donate directly to that organization).
United States
Nationally both 2nd Harvest and Feeding America have programs in your state. Seek them out, find them and assist them.
Food banks and pantries can help themselves by making it easy for individuals to donate food – create pantry lists on Amazon of needed items for example from which individuals may order and have the items delivered directly.
My father had an adage which he instilled in all of his children.
“Those who can, must.”
My family has long been engaged with and a supporter of Northwest Harvest, and we will continue to do so, doubling down through this crisis, because we can, therefore, we must.
I thank you for your time,
Christopher Burgess
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