about us
Our Mission:
nourish with good food, empower with knowledge, and serve with compassion.
Our Vision:
a hunger-free south Seattle
We don’t just want to hand guests a bag of food. We provide guests space to make choices in the food they provide for their family, and then we ask them what else they may need. We can’t do any of this without collaboration. From our service partners who join alongside us to provide wrap-around support, to the volunteers who work in partnership with us, and the local farms who provide our produce — ending hunger will take all of us.
As the primary emergency food resource in Seattle’s most racially and economically diverse neighborhood, we are a low-barrier provider, ensuring that anyone can access our services regardless of housing status, income, zip code, or immigration status.
our history
Originally named Northwest Community Services, the Rainier Valley Food Bank was first formed in 1991 and served 50 families each week. When the nation experienced an economic decline in 2008, we saw a significant increase in need from our Southeast Seattle communities, leading the Board of Directors to change the organization’s name to Rainier Valley Food Bank and expand the organization’s capacity to serve more individuals.
For years, we operated in a tiny 1,200-square-foot rented space while fulfilling more than 25% of Seattle area food bank visits annually. In 2021, we acquired an 8,000 sq. ft. building on the corner of Rainier Ave S. and S. Henderson St. A light renovation has made the space more functional for our operations as they exist today
Our Neighborhood
Positioned in the heart of South Seattle, RVFB is the primary emergency food resource for Seattle’s most racially, ethnically, and economically diverse neighborhood and home to many people of color, immigrants, and refugees who regularly face systemic obstacles to living wage employment, affordable housing, and food security. It is home to a wide disparity of living standards where multi-million-dollar homes are down the street from Section Eight housing. As a vital community-based organization dedicated to addressing the root causes of hunger and operating through a justice-based lens, RVFB is a safe and accessible source of culturally appropriate food and wrap-around support for low-income community members in South Seattle.
We at the Rainier Valley Food Bank feel honored to live and operate within an incredibly diverse community. The 98118 zip code, where we are located and work, is the most diverse in the state and the sixth most diverse in the country.
We recognize that our work happens on the land of the Duwamish People and honor them as the first people of Seattle. Our organization is committed to honoring the culture and traditions of the Duwamish People. As a food bank with social justice at our core, we acknowledge the importance of paying our respect to this land’s history. We encourage our community to educate themselves on the Duwamish People, their history, and customs.