This year marks RVFB’s 25th birthday, on May 1, to be exact. For a quarter century, we have seen unbelievable growth in demand. As much as I would like to say that our service levels are decreasing, we continue to set new records in the number of people we feed. March once again blew through our previous record, with over 23,782 people fed, including repeat visitors.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, are a critical resource for 46.5 million Americans across the US. They provide a reliable source of money that can be spent at grocery stores and farmers markets to buy fresh, healthy groceries. Not only do they alleviate financial pressures faced by low-income households, they also increase food security for recipients.

Last month, Rainier Valley Food Bank volunteers congregated with 100 other hunger activists at our State Capitol in Olympia for Hunger Action Day.

We are improving the way To-Go Bags are produced, with the help of volunteers. As the homeless population in Seattle increases, the demand on organizations that support them will increase in tandem. We are working to formalize our To-Go Bag production, for top quality and efficiency.

Shelly started volunteering at the food bank in early 2015. She came in once a week to help out with data entry, and always had a friendly story to tell. Shelly is new to running but she decided this year to run the Seattle Half Marathon and raise money for the Rainier Valley Food Bank. Running this distance and fundraising are two things she has never done before. By her own admission, it makes her nervous but she is determined to succeed!

To be alive and present to the needs of those around us—especially those we serve—is to continuously be aware of the filters through which we view the world. These filters are formed by some things that are learned, like our belief systems or our political views. Some filters are formed by things we have no choice in, like our race, our gender, and an enormous array of other factors that contribute to how we see ourselves, the world, and those around us. The more transparent our filters become, the better we are able to serve with true humility and compassion—two cornerstones of real justice. The more transparent our filters become, the more we are able to approach a deeper understanding of our fellow beings, and thus contribute to a more just society.

Racial inequality has been at the forefront of our news and conversations, and at RVFB we see that food access is innately linked with social justice. We asked community leader Kenya Fredie to share her thoughts on how growing food impacts social justice. Kenya wears multiple hats as Dept. Neighborhoods P-Patch Community Garden Coordinator, “Growing for Giving” Volunteer at Judkins P-Patch, and dedicated steward to her daughter, her earth, and her community.

Whether it be dedicating a portion of produce from your home garden to our food bank or dropping in on a garden work party, your work to bring in more healthy food for our food guests will be met with a tremendous amount of appreciation!

While many in our region now enjoy the fruits of economic recovery, there remain many thousands for whom things have only changed for the worse. In fact, area food banks are serving more people now than they did at the peak of the recession. Rainier Valley Food Bank (RVFB) now serves more than twice the number of families they fed in 2009, and saw a staggering 32% increase in demand in 2014 alone.

As you think hard about the money you spend to feed yourself, consider giving what you can to help Rainier Valley Food Bank provide fresh, nutritious food to 11,000 neighbors every month. Match your Hunger Challenge food budget with a donation, and we’ll stretch every dollar you donate into $12 worth of food.