Honoring the Legacy of Bill Block
Housing justice advocate, Bill Block, was a force for change. A community leader who worked behind the scenes with a clear vision: to transform systems so that everyone can live with dignity. He was a community hero whose work continues to inspire Rainier Valley Food Bank. Bill’s life was guided by justice, service, and unwavering dedication. He relentlessly worked for a better future for those with the greatest need.
“Bill’s legacy is his persistence to break the cycle of homelessness, most notably by his role in making more housing available and creating a ‘one stop shop’ for those needing housing,” said former King County Council member Jane Hague.
Celebrating Bill’s life and work
Bill passed away in August 2023 after a 17-year fight with cancer. His spirit lives on in the work continuing in his absence, like Rainier Valley Food Bank’s newly expanded and improved space that opened last month. This project inspired Bill’s wife, Sue Leavitt, to join Rainier Valley Food Bank’s campaign to build our new community food hub, the Room for All Campaign.
With a mission to “nourish with good food, empower with knowledge, and serve with compassion”, the work of RVFB reflects the very systems-level, dignity-centered approach that Bill championed throughout his life. Bill believed that true change happens when communities build the infrastructure for people to thrive. At a time when hunger, housing, and community well-being are deeply interconnected, RVFB’s new facility embodies that vision—a welcoming, low-barrier hub where people can access food and resources with dignity.
As executive director, Gloria Hatcher-Mays shared at our Grand Opening event last month:
“We want to be a hub where it’s one-stop shopping, one place to get all your needs met. The community deserves not only a place for resources but also somewhere they are proud to go.”
A Matching Challenge Worthy of His Legacy
Bill Block’s Building Block’s feeds that the legacy of compassion, innovation, and hope that Bill first sparked in Seattle. Several generous donors are collectively honoring his life and work through our $350,000 matching challenge.
To date, our community has contributed over $137,000 toward the challenge. We are striving for the $200,000 benchmark by October 31st to stay on pace for a strong finish to our campaign. This ensures our new community food hub thrives as a center of community care and resilience, now when it’s urgently needed and for generations to come.
We are deeply grateful to Bill’s wife, Sue Leavitt, for initiating this challenge and to the two anonymous donors who helped build the matching fund.
In expanding its reach and reimagining how a food bank can serve, Rainier Valley Food Bank continues Bill’s legacy of compassion paired with strategy—transforming systems and, in turn, transforming lives.