A steady, reliable source of food bank funding for King County from the federal government was cut this summer, leading to tense times for the White Center and West Seattle Food Banks as the number of needy families continues to grow.
The funding came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the program named Emergency Food and Shelter Program. According to a KUOW report by Amy Radil, King County received $1.2 million from the program last year. This year the number is zero.
Food banks received word in July that qualifications for the program changed and King County no longer qualified because the unemployment rate is too low.
For the White Center Food Bank (WCFB), Volunteer Coordinator Audrey Zemke said that means a $32,000 budget cut to funds that were always set aside to buy dairy, eggs and meat. West Seattle Food Bank (WSFB) Executive Director Fran Yeats said she doesn’t have an official number yet, but the cuts will be significant.
As an injured economy and budget shortfalls reach from Washington D.C. to Washington State, cuts may be coming from all levels.
Zemke said WCFB King County funding will be cut from $10,000 to $15,000. Add that to the FEMA cut and the total nears $50,000, which is one-fifth of their traditional budget.
Yeats is hopeful West Seattle’s funding from the City of Seattle will “remain steady,” adding they do not get funding from King County and funds from the State will drop by a few thousand dollars.
Zemke said the complete cut from FEMA came as “a total surprise,” although they had planned for funding reductions.
“We have a good following of contributors in the community and we’ve been very careful with our money through the whole recession, anticipating that at some point the bottom of the government funds was going to fall out,” she said. “We didn’t expect it to be quite as drastic.”
“We were surprised we lost it all, but that means there are places out in the U.S. hurting worse than we are, which is hard to believe with the numbers we are seeing.”
Zemke said August was a record-breaking month outside of the holidays for the White Center Food Bank, but not the type of record communities hope to break. They served 1753 families – a number normally not seen until November and December.
“For me, what’s a little more unnerving, even than losing that funding, is the holidays coming up, which are our busiest months … and we are already seeing huge numbers so what are the holiday numbers going to be like?” Zemke said.
Yeats added, “Since we are continuing to see an increasing number of families that need our service, the West Seattle Food Bank has significantly increased our food budget and has budgeted to use reserves this year so we can continue to meet the need. Since funds for food purchases for the local food banks will be reduced it is likely that the increase in budget for food purchases may not be enough to keep up with both quantity and quality of food offered to the families we serve.”
On top of government funds drying up or at least getting smaller, Yeats said private donations are down in 2011 as well.
“I think the holidays will be scary,” Zemke said.
Several opportunities to help out
With county, state and federal cuts becoming a reality, Yeats and Zemke said food banks will have to rely more heavily on food drives, fundraising events and private donations.
Here is a list of upcoming events:
White Center Food Bank
-Private donations can be made online or with cash or check. For more information visit their website. You can also drop food off at the food bank.
-Oct. 15: Harvest Dinner and Auction celebrating the White Center Food Banks 40th Anniversary. Full details can be found here, on the Herald’s Community Calendar.
-Sept. 24: Pyramid Alehouses’s Tomato Battle, with a portion of proceeds going to the White Center Food Bank. For full details on the battle (you will get covered with tomatoes), check out the event website.
-Sept. 24: Mayor’s Day of Concern For the Hungry – Saturday, September 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Roxbury and Burien Safeways.
West Seattle Food Bank
-Private donations can be made online or with cash or check. For more information visit their website. You can also drop food off at the food bank.
The following information comes from the WSFB Events and News page.
-Sept. 24: Mayor’s Day of Concern For the Hungry – Saturday, September 24, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., at the West Seattle Thriftway. Please come support feeding your hungry neighbors in need by stopping by and donating food or funds to the West Seattle Bank. Our volunteers will be at the West Seattle Thriftway throughout the day taking donations and raising awareness about hunger in our community.
-Oct. 2: Crop Hunger Walk – Sunday, October 2, registration starts at 1 p.m., walk starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Alki U.C.C. and continues along the water on Alki Beach. Come walk to help end hunger in West Seattle and all over the World. Register to be a walker on behalf of the West Seattle Food Bank and recruit your friends, family, and coworkers to sponsor you in your cause. Or just donate to the cause at this link. A portion of all of the proceeds collected in the walk will go to local hunger relief agencies such as the West Seattle Food Bank.
-Oct. 2: Mobile Chowdown Event – brought to you by Seattle Magazine, October 2, 2011 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. West Seattle Junction -California Ave SW — Between SW Oregon and SW Edmunds St. Come check out the best of local food trucks all in one place. There will be food of various cuisines and dessert trucks. There will be something for everyone, so bring your friends and family for a tasty treat! If you are over 21, please stop by the beer garden, have a cold one , and support WSFB, as proceeds from the beer garden will be donated to us. Please check out the Herald's Mobile Chowdown preview for more details.
-Oct. 2: Prudential NW Food Drive, October 2, 2011 Metropolitan Market on Admiral. Please stop by and help support the Prudential Team and also the West Seattle Food Bank by donating food to their food drive for WSFB.
-Nov. 19: 13th Annual Turkey Bowl put on by Beer Church at West Seattle Bowl. Fundraiser and food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank. More details can be found at the Beer Church website.
