King County Government
Dow Constantine
King County is partnering with Meals Lifeline to transform their 40,000-square-foot warehouse into the brand new South Seattle Group Meals hub, offering much-needed shared area for storing, packing, and distributing contemporary produce and items to individuals and households experiencing starvation.
Government Dow Constantine immediately introduced that King County is partnering with community-based organizations and Food Lifeline to transform their 40,000-square-foot warehouse right into a facility that can strengthen connections between native farmers and starvation reduction organizations. The South Seattle Group Meals Hub will present much-needed shared area for storing, packing, and distributing contemporary produce and items to individuals and households experiencing meals insecurity.
The partnership will obtain $4 million in federal funding secured by Sen. Patty Murray together with $1 million from a COVID-19 restoration package deal developed by Government Constantine and authorised by the King County Council, which is able to assist the warehouse renovation start within the spring.
“The meals hub we’re creating with companions will present the area and tools wanted to higher join native farmers to hunger-relief organizations,” mentioned Government Constantine. “This will probably be a significant neighborhood asset that strengthens the native meals economic system, making entry to wholesome, homegrown meals extra equitable. I need to thank Sen. Murray for her help in securing this federal funding to get the challenge over the end line.”
“This facility has the chance to positively impression of us who’re experiencing starvation and meals insecurity,” mentioned Linda Nageotte, Meals Lifeline President and CEO. “It’s getting them entry to regionally grown, contemporary produce, serving to neighborhood organizations which are working to serve their wants, and guaranteeing they’ve entry to the attractive fruits of our native farm economic system, constructing a brighter and extra healthful future for all of us.”
Farmers and starvation reduction organizations at the moment meet in parking tons, missing chilly storage for perishable items and a lined location the place workers and volunteers can field and put together meals for distribution. Modest Family Solutions – a nonprofit that grows, collects, and distributes 250,000 kilos of free meals every month in King and Snohomish counties – is without doubt one of the community-based organizations that can profit from the South Seattle Group Meals Hub.
“Having this meals hub will present a way of stability,” mentioned Adasha Turner, founding father of Modest Household Options. “We will exit and we are able to harvest extra meals figuring out that we’ve got a spot for it to go. It offers us extra time to decelerate and attain the communities that basically want the assistance. Proper now, it is first come, first serve.”
Sen. Murray included $4 million for the challenge within the American Rescue Plan Act after the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a pointy enhance in meals insecurity and highlighted the necessity for infrastructure that connects BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee farmers to community-based starvation reduction organizations.
“Our native meals banks are a lifeline for households throughout Washington state, so it’s actually vital we do our half on the federal degree to help them and assist guarantee individuals don’t go hungry,” mentioned Sen. Murray. “Nobody ought to have to fret about how they’re going to get their subsequent meal, so I’m actually glad I used to be capable of safe federal funding for the South Seattle Group Meals Hub to help youngsters and households throughout King County. That is large progress in our continued struggle towards meals insecurity, and I’m dedicated to delivering extra investments like this one to sort out our nation’s starvation disaster.”
A COVID-19 restoration package deal developed by Government Constantine and authorised by the King County Council offered a further $1 million to assist begin the challenge.
“The shortage of a centralized meals hub has hampered starvation reduction operations for years, significantly as extra individuals and households started experiencing starvation in the course of the pandemic,” mentioned King County Councilmember Joe McDermott. “This challenge helps a rise within the availability of contemporary, culturally related produce for neighborhood members throughout the area, whereas supporting the financial improvement of the native meals system.”
The whole challenge is predicted to price about $8 million. The primary part contains predevelopment and development for 12,000 toes of chilly storage, warehouse area, workplaces, and restrooms. The second part will set up a business kitchen and an area for processing and delivery. Companions will start remodeling the warehouse within the spring and anticipate operations to start in 2024.
“The South Seattle Group Meals Hub actually is a neighborhood asset,” mentioned Michael Lufkin, King County Native Meals Economic system Supervisor. “The first goal is that or not it’s run and operated by community-based organizations. So, that is their facility. It’s going to primarily belong to the neighborhood and serve the neighborhood.”
The partnership contributes to King County’s Local Food Initiative that Government Constantine launched in 2014 to strengthen the native meals economic system and make entry to wholesome meals extra equitable.
The meals hub we’re creating with companions will present the area and tools wanted to higher join native farmers to hunger-relief organizations. This will probably be a significant neighborhood asset that strengthens the native meals economic system, making entry to wholesome, homegrown meals extra equitable. I need to thank Sen. Murray for her help in securing this federal funding to get the challenge over the end line.
Our native meals banks are a lifeline for households throughout Washington state, so it’s actually vital we do our half on the federal degree to help them and assist guarantee individuals don’t go hungry. Nobody ought to have to fret about how they’re going to get their subsequent meal, so I’m actually glad I used to be capable of safe federal funding for the South Seattle Group Meals Hub to help youngsters and households throughout King County. That is large progress in our continued struggle towards meals insecurity, and I’m dedicated to delivering extra investments like this one to sort out our nation’s starvation disaster.
The shortage of a centralized meals hub has hampered starvation reduction operations for years, significantly as extra individuals and households started experiencing starvation in the course of the pandemic. This challenge helps a rise within the availability of contemporary, culturally related produce for neighborhood members throughout the area, whereas supporting the financial improvement of the native meals system.
This facility has the chance to positively impression of us who’re experiencing starvation and meals insecurity. It’s getting them entry to regionally grown, contemporary produce, serving to neighborhood organizations which are working to serve their wants, and guaranteeing they’ve entry to the attractive fruits of our native farm economic system, constructing a brighter and extra healthful future for all of us.
Having this meals hub will present a way of stability. We will exit and we are able to harvest extra meals figuring out that we’ve got a spot for it to go. It offers us extra time to decelerate and attain the communities that basically want the assistance. Proper now, it is first come, first serve.
The South Seattle Group Meals Hub actually is a neighborhood asset. The first goal is that or not it’s run and operated by community-based organizations. So, that is their facility. It’s going to primarily belong to the neighborhood and serve the neighborhood.
Doug Williams, Division of Pure Sources and Parks, 206-477-4543
401 fifth Ave. Suite 800
Seattle, WA 98104
Major telephone: 206-263-9600
TTY: Relay: 711
FAX: 206-296-0194
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