Food justice in King County Washington looks different now than it did pre-pandemic.
Where We Are Now
A variety of economic and public health factors have transformed the landscape of affordable, fresh, locally sourced food. The closing of grocery stores in population dense areas, increase inflation hits families, farmers, food banks, grocers, shippers, and beyond.
The ability to safely travel long distances using public transit to access culturally relevant food has become more challenging as transit service fluctuates with COVID related labor issues and workers returning to office. Our own health and ability to interact in indoor public environments has changed; with additional mindfulness for people from multi-generational households, people with disabilities, and more.
Displacement due to high cost of living in the city may have pushed some people to the outskirts of our community, missing out on local farmers markets that once sourced household, less time for cooking with the additional commute. Or the cost of fresh food at the grocery store leads you to choose cheaper alternatives.
All of these factors impact how we interact with our food systems and the ability to access fresh, affordable food. These gaps have been exacerbated in this past year and our priorities have adjusted with this change.
Adapting To Our Community's Needs
The community members we served have sacrificed, adapted, accommodated a lot in this pandemic - we are determined to disrupt this cycle of compounding barriers and empower them in new ways.
We are taking steps to improve our program and grow our impact; focusing our efforts on empowering our community with easy access to engage with our local food system, support wellness and food security.
Here are the ways we connect our community to local food
Access to weekly boxes of fresh, locally sourced fresh food from the ground to be picked up in south Seattle
Featuring unique foods inspired by foods from different cultures in our food boxes, including supporting recipes
Adapting our meal boxes to meet dietary restrictions and household needs
Creating an inclusive delivery program for elderly and differently abled households
Purchasing from local BIPOC, womxn, and LGBTQ owned farms and businesses
Provide access to seeds seasonally and guidance for growing food at home
Spotlight and share information about our partners and suppliers to get to know the people behind the food we consume
Open up opportunities for cooking, gardening tips, videos, classes, and more
Get Engaged
In order to achieve our goals, we are pushing to mobilize our community members to join us in our mission: meeting our community members where they are, with fresh, local, plant-based food.
Donate or volunteer with us are we work to simplify how King County families access fresh, locally sourced food and engage with our local food system.
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