Meals banks in metro Seattle have seen a rise in demand from individuals who want additional assist feeding themselves or their households ever because the federal authorities lowered family allowances for meals stamps to pre-pandemic quantities.
Through the pandemic, month-to-month Supplemental Diet Help Program funds had been elevated to contemplate family dimension as an alternative of family earnings. That resulted in about $95 extra every month per family. However the additional {dollars} led to February whereas costs at grocery shops continued to extend.
File inflation not solely made procuring tougher for many who use meals stamps, it additionally affected meals banks like Rainier Valley Meals Financial institution, which purchases about half of its meals from wholesalers.
That dynamic added to the endless dilemma in one of many richest international locations on the planet: How can we feed America?
The nation grows, processes and imports loads of meals, however price, entry and distribution stay obstacles for a lot too many individuals.
Thus, the necessity to assist native meals banks.
For the reason that pandemic, meals banks have seen a rise of consumers. One distinction is that the profile of these accessing meals banks has grown from seniors and others on mounted incomes and people underemployed, to incorporate individuals working full-time jobs.
Greater than 900,000 Washingtonians profit from meals stamps. Nonetheless, with federal help and family incomes, many nonetheless need assistance and, sadly, some, together with kids, go hungry.
The pandemic, which resulted in layoffs, sickness and deaths, exacerbated the issue. However the financial and social restoration has offered a brand new downside for some meals banks within the Seattle space.
Henry Harris, meals financial institution coordinator on the Rainier Valley Meals Financial institution, mentioned his location relied on beneficiant meals donations from eating places that had been both closed or scaled again through the pandemic. With most eating places now totally open, that stream of meals has dried up.
So, how will you assist? Glad you requested.
To assist make up for the drop in meals donations, Harris mentioned meals banks routinely settle for donations of recent vegetables and fruit from small farm and backyard house owners. People and organizations can even donate dry items and canned meals. As well as, there’s additionally a necessity for volunteers to assist type and pack containers of meals for dwelling supply, an ideal community-service venture.
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