Food insecurity among college students is not new. With the holiday season coming up, finding resources can be difficult. In the surrounding area of Seattle Pacific University, there are many food banks accessible to students.
Just off the King County Metro D-Line is the Ballard Food Bank, one of the biggest food banks in the area. Not only does it include a free food shopping experience, but once a day, shoppers can also get a hot, homemade meal.
Gypsy Walukones is the senior communications manager at the Ballard Food Bank. She shared how food banks have changed in recent years to be more inclusive to the greater community.
“Originally, most food banks were required to serve certain zip codes, and then in the early pandemic, that changed, so we are required to serve anybody in Washington state,” said Walukones.
All shoppers, regardless of income or housing situation, are given access to the Community Market, Kindness Cafe and the Community Resource Hub. Unless relevant to a resource someone is trying to access, the Ballard Food Bank does not ask about their situation, creating a welcome environment for anyone in need.
For those who live in the Ballard neighborhood, there is a rental and utility assistance program. This program aids individuals with paying bills. Anyone outside of the Ballard area can go to the Community Resource Hub to find equivalents in their area.
Lily Cowen is the food access manager at the Ballard Food Bank. Her role is to outreach to the community and provide food outside of the Community Food Market that the food bank building offers. This includes home delivery programs, which is becoming a more common practice.
“It’s a group that’s growing actively right now, so that is a huge volunteer effort. Volunteers pack and deliver all those bags through about 50 delivery routes. And we’re providing food for clients who are disabled, elderly, or having trouble coming into the food bank. Also folks who might be concerned about their safety due to their immigration status,” Cowen said.
The Ballard Food Bank is one of 33 food banks in the Seattle Food Committee, who work together to buy food in bulk for better deals. Queen Anne at Sacred Heart, U-District Food Bank and FamilyWorks in Wallingford are all in close proximity to Seattle Pacific. They also make sure that anyone in need has access to necessities.
Supporting communities through providing food and funds plays a large part in continuing the operations of food banks. Volunteering through time at The Ballard Food Bank allows for additional benefits.
“We have a system in place where, if you volunteer, you can bypass the line in recognition of the time you’re spending here getting everything together, so that’s a great opportunity if you want to volunteer and also pick up groceries at the same time,” Cowen said.
Food banks often have few on-staff workers, utilizing volunteer efforts to stock shelves. There are a variety of ways to give to food banks.
“We always say, ‘food, funds and time’ are our top three things, so definitely always encouraging people to get involved with food drives, we have information about that on our website,” said Cowen.
To find a local food bank, visit the Seattle Food Committee website.
