Massive layoffs, record-breaking inflation, and an end to COVID relief resulted in a rollback on SNAP benefits. Over the past year, we've begun to see the long-term effects of the pandemic take a toll on our community. The effects are becoming known as the "hunger cliff."

Join us honoring some of the Black individuals who have made history throughout the years. Download the cards, and watch the video to learn how they shaped the world we live in today.

Are you among the many who have pushed their holiday shopping off until the very last minute? Rainier Valley is teeming with incredible small businesses that are chock-full of the perfect gifts for the special someone still on your list. While our neighborhood offers many great options, we invite you to explore a few of our staff’s favorite choices as you finish up your holiday shopping.

After years of planning, we acquired a new building that will transform our ability to serve the growing demands for food and support services throughout the Rainier Valley. We will work out of our new home while the design and construction of our new building takes place.

In case you missed our #WashingtonWildfireAwareness campaign, you can view our posts from the week of August 16-20th, 2021 below. You can support this campaign by donating here

In preparation for a potential poor air quality event this wildfire season, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is engaged in planning, in partnership with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Public Health—Seattle & King County (PHSKC), to support those living unsheltered by opening up cleaner air shelters if the need arises.

Stay cool this weekend, Seattle!

“This upcoming week, we’re reopening many City facilities for individuals to stay cool, but many of our City’s indoor spaces remain closed or at reduced capacity due to state and local Public Health mandates,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “As a reminder, drink plenty of water, reduce strenuous outdoor activities, check on neighbors and those at risk for heat-related illness, and don’t leave any pets in the car.”

Rainier Valley Food Bank, the busiest food bank in the Seattle area serving over 1 million meals annually, announced today that it has acquired a new building that will transform its ability to serve the growing demands of communities ravaged by COVID-19’s impact. Situated in the heart of the Rainier Valley for over 25 years, the Rainier Valley Food Bank saw a significant increase in demand for its food programs while working in a space that barely contained the staff, volunteers and donations needed to meet the growing community needs.

A local South Seattle Girl Scout made this video for Rainier Valley Food Bank to train and educate our volunteers about mask use during COVID.

Her goal is to help get the facts straight about masks and get this info out to the public as much as possible.

RVFB stands in solidarity with our black community against the systemic oppression and racism in our country. The deaths of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Tanisha Anderson, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, and so many more innocent people are the cost of institutional violence and white silence.

There are many ways to give to a food bank. People have given their time in the form of volunteering, donations in the form of non perishable items; such as rice, pasta, snacks, cooking oils and canned goods, and hosted fun(d) drives, to name a few. These are all wonderful, necessary, and fun ways to get involved with your community! A crucial pillar to our mission is to provide fresh nutritious produce to our food guests. That’s one of the reasons people love RVFB! While purchasing produce for our guests is necessary- due to the sheer volume we serve- community gardens and p.patches have gotten involved through “growing a row” for our Food Bank. Partnering with our local food system through the Giving Garden program has allowed us to build partnerships across our community while nurturing our guests with fresh, community grown, good food.

When most people envision food bank food, canned goods nearing their expiration date generally come to mind. Step foot into Rainier Valley Food Bank on any given day and that image evaporates. Hunger goes beyond people starving with not enough calories to consume. While there may be numerous corner stores offering canned soups for $0.60 a can, affordable options for local, chemical – free romaine, are harder to find.

This year marks RVFB’s 25th birthday, on May 1, to be exact. For a quarter century, we have seen unbelievable growth in demand. As much as I would like to say that our service levels are decreasing, we continue to set new records in the number of people we feed. March once again blew through our previous record, with over 23,782 people fed, including repeat visitors.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, are a critical resource for 46.5 million Americans across the US. They provide a reliable source of money that can be spent at grocery stores and farmers markets to buy fresh, healthy groceries. Not only do they alleviate financial pressures faced by low-income households, they also increase food security for recipients.

Last month, Rainier Valley Food Bank volunteers congregated with 100 other hunger activists at our State Capitol in Olympia for Hunger Action Day.

We are improving the way To-Go Bags are produced, with the help of volunteers. As the homeless population in Seattle increases, the demand on organizations that support them will increase in tandem. We are working to formalize our To-Go Bag production, for top quality and efficiency.

Shelly started volunteering at the food bank in early 2015. She came in once a week to help out with data entry, and always had a friendly story to tell. Shelly is new to running but she decided this year to run the Seattle Half Marathon and raise money for the Rainier Valley Food Bank. Running this distance and fundraising are two things she has never done before. By her own admission, it makes her nervous but she is determined to succeed!

To be alive and present to the needs of those around us—especially those we serve—is to continuously be aware of the filters through which we view the world. These filters are formed by some things that are learned, like our belief systems or our political views. Some filters are formed by things we have no choice in, like our race, our gender, and an enormous array of other factors that contribute to how we see ourselves, the world, and those around us. The more transparent our filters become, the better we are able to serve with true humility and compassion—two cornerstones of real justice. The more transparent our filters become, the more we are able to approach a deeper understanding of our fellow beings, and thus contribute to a more just society.

Racial inequality has been at the forefront of our news and conversations, and at RVFB we see that food access is innately linked with social justice. We asked community leader Kenya Fredie to share her thoughts on how growing food impacts social justice. Kenya wears multiple hats as Dept. Neighborhoods P-Patch Community Garden Coordinator, “Growing for Giving” Volunteer at Judkins P-Patch, and dedicated steward to her daughter, her earth, and her community.

Whether it be dedicating a portion of produce from your home garden to our food bank or dropping in on a garden work party, your work to bring in more healthy food for our food guests will be met with a tremendous amount of appreciation!