Food is Love: Rainier Valley Food Bank Needs YOU! ~ Don Koonce

Photo/Rainier Valley Food Bank

Dear friends,

My office—Windermere Mount Baker Real Estate—is gearing up for our annual Winter Food Drive benefiting Rainier Valley Food Bank (RVFB), a South Seattle nonprofit dedicated to a hunger-free Rainier Valley, and we’d love your help.

Did you know?

In 2016, around 1 in 8 Washingtonians did not get enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs.
In the nation, Washington is firmly in the middle of the pack, ranking as the 25^th hungriest state.
In Washington, the number of people living in poverty significantly decreased over the last year, but nonetheless, nearly 1 in 9 Washingtonians lived below the poverty line in 2016.
1 in 5 kids in Washington state lives in a household that struggles to put food on the table.
1 in 7 Washingtonians relies on SNAP (food stamps), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is severely threatened by budget cuts. Half of all people on SNAP are kids.
The majority of working-age Washingtonians who live in poverty are actively working or looking for work.
Since the start of the recession in 2008, Washington has cut more than $12 billion in discretionary spending from our state’s operating budget, all in the areas of public safety, higher education and basic needs services.
1 in 6 Washingtonians relies on their local food bank.

You can bring your contributions (see list below) to the Windermere office (4919 S Genesee St., Seattle, WA 98118/206-725-7255) from January 21 through February 28, or contact me for pick-up.

In the meantime, Rainier Valley Food Bank (4205 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118) will happily accept your generous donations now. Thank you!

Types of Food to Collect

All foods collected should be non-perishable. RVFB is most in need of high-protein, nutritious foods including:

Canned chicken, tuna and salmon
Beef stew, meat soups
Hearty soups
Canned vegetables and fruits
Dry or canned beans (kidney, pinto, green, yellow, refried or black beans)
Peanut butter
Pasta
Rice
Pancake or baking mixes
Cereal and oatmeal
Granola bars or energy bars
Ensure or other nutritional supplement drinks
Baby food and formula