Unexpected Impacts of COVID on our Neighbors

Jordan 3 Comments

The COVID pandemic is impacting us all in some obvious ways: public and private schools are closed at least through April 24, businesses of all types have seen their clientele evaporate as people practice “social distancing”, store shelves are emptied of essentials like toilet paper and disinfectants.

It’s also impacting some of the most vulnerable in unexpected ways. FamilyWorks Food Bank and Family Resource Center, which provides essential groceries to elderly, poor and homeless in our community, gets much of the food donations they share with those in need as surplus from local food stores, but those donations have suddenly diminished.

Joy Ashenbrenner of Familyworks explained

“We don’t have a definitive reason why, just our best guess. We typically receive donations from a number of grocery stores – Wallingford QFC, PCC, Safeway Roosevelt, Fred Meyer Greenwood, Shoreline Market – as well as NW Harvest and Food Lifeline. Our suspicion for why their donations are down is that the stores don’t have as much overstock to donate to us, and the pantries (NW Harvest & Food Lifeline) aren’t seeing the same level of grocery rescue items which they would normally donate to us. Definitely not an issue of contamination.”
So, if I’m reading between the lines, it sounds like the hoarding home overstocking going on as people prepare for the next few weeks is wiping out the surplus bounty that would normally have been donated to the food bank.
The relatively empty shelves at the food bank comes at a particularly challenging time, with the schools closing. One in six Washington kids live in a household that faces challenges in putting enough food on the table. Every day, the Seattle Public Schools Nutrition Services program fuels over 14,600 student lunches and 5,800 breakfasts (adhering to the highest level of national nutrition standards and provides many locally sourced fruits, vegetables and beans daily.)
Just as these schools are shut down and these kids are sent home and cut off from those two meals a day, it so happens that their parents are put out of work by quarantines and recession and it is also the same time that the food banks’ pantry’s food supply has shrunk. It’s a recipe for disaster, with all the ingredients.
FamilyWorks has put out a call for help to the community:

FamilyWorks needs our help during the coronavirus pandemic! As the impact of coronavirus in Seattle has increased, FamilyWorks has seen a reduction in donations of fresh groceries and non-perishable foods to their food banks. If you’re looking for a way to make an immediate difference for some of those that are most affected by coronavirus, please join me in donating to the FamilyWorks food banks today: https://familyworksseattle.org/donate-funds/

This has impacted FamilyWorks’ ability to provide Emergency “No-Cook” Food Bags, PowerPacks for local students, and grocery delivery to seniors and home-bound adults. As the situation evolves, they expect to see further disruption to their food banks, and increased hardship on their participants.

The Food Bank is taking precautions along with everyone, and is instituting a “drive-through” model for getting groceries to encourage social distancing while still getting non-perishable food to families in need.
To help keep you safe during this time of uncertainty, the food bank will be distributing pre‑packed grocery bags outside of the rear doors of the building. Perishable items will be added to the bag depending on availability, including fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bread.
The types of food that can be provided in this “driveway” model is different, though, so the model has changed. Certain foods that they are looking for include Baby Food, Canned Fruit & Veggies, Canned Soup & Chili, Canned tuna & other meats, Cereal, Crackers, Granola Bars, Juice Boxes, Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Peanut Butter, Pudding Cups, Soap, Tissues and, of course, Toilet Paper.
Familyworks anticipates an increase in families seeking aid not just due to families looking to make up for what they’ve lost from the school lunch program, but also families operating without an income for an extended period. Anything you can do will help.
I’ll also take this moment to note that Jake Weber, the founding Executive Director of FamilyWorks, is planning to step down, and the search is underway for someone to fill her spectacular shoes. If you are someone you know has the compassion, passion, and fashion, the empathy, humility and adaptability for this fantastic gig, take a look at the job posting and take a run at it. It’s a good organizer, it deserves a good leader.

 

3 Comments

  1. FamilyWorks
    March 13, 2020 at 11:04 am

    This is Mike, the manager of FamilyWorks Food Bank. Thanks Jordan for the wonderful article! We are already seeing our community step up to help our neighbors in need during these trying and anxiety-producing times. I’ve had several families stop in to either volunteer (many of our senior volunteers have been unable to come help since they are an at-risk population to COVID-19) or drop off food donations.

    We’re currently providing our participants with pre-packed bags filled with fresh protein, produce and shelf-stable goods to help tide them over. We’re also working with Seattle schools to provide weekend backpacks of food to one of the 26 distribution sites SPS is setting up throughout the city. These “PowerPacks” have been an essential part of combating weekend child hunger for those kiddos who receive federally-assisted breakfast and lunch at school from Monday – Friday.

    If anyone wants to know how they can help right now, we can use donations of fruit in pop-top cans, tuna and quick meals (i.e. mac & cheese, pasta-roni, rice-a-roni, etc.). We also have need of hygiene items, especially soap, shampoo, hand sanitizer, and toilet tissue.

    Thanks to our incredible Wallyhood community. You’ve always been the mainstay of what we do; the true beauty is the increased support you are giving now in these tough circumstances!

  2. Patrick Long
    March 13, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    Thanks, Jordan.

  3. Mariza Costa-Cabral
    March 25, 2020 at 3:38 pm

    Good article. But please make a correction: School lunches continue being distributed to kids who qualify at 26 different sites throughout Seattle: https://www.seattleschools.org/district/calendars/news/what_s_new/coronavirus_update/resources/student_meals

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