The Beacon Food Forest (BFF) cultivates a community dedicated to building equitable food systems for all people, and stewarding our environment for the benefit of all species.

Stay cool this weekend, Seattle!

“This upcoming week, we’re reopening many City facilities for individuals to stay cool, but many of our City’s indoor spaces remain closed or at reduced capacity due to state and local Public Health mandates,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “As a reminder, drink plenty of water, reduce strenuous outdoor activities, check on neighbors and those at risk for heat-related illness, and don’t leave any pets in the car.”

Rainier Valley Food Bank, the busiest food bank in the Seattle area serving over 1 million meals annually, announced today that it has acquired a new building that will transform its ability to serve the growing demands of communities ravaged by COVID-19’s impact. Situated in the heart of the Rainier Valley for over 25 years, the Rainier Valley Food Bank saw a significant increase in demand for its food programs while working in a space that barely contained the staff, volunteers and donations needed to meet the growing community needs.

Learn from Seattle’s renowned chef and owner of the Jerk Shack, the Caribbean star of downtown, Trey Lamont, in an exclusive cooking class as he teaches you to prepare his famous Rasta Pasta! You will have the opportunity to ask questions and get firsthand tips as you get a view right into Trey’s kitchen. 

A local South Seattle Girl Scout made this video for Rainier Valley Food Bank to train and educate our volunteers about mask use during COVID.

Her goal is to help get the facts straight about masks and get this info out to the public as much as possible.

RVFB stands in solidarity with our black community against the systemic oppression and racism in our country. The deaths of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Tanisha Anderson, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, and so many more innocent people are the cost of institutional violence and white silence.

Are you ready to feed community and plant the seeds of justice? We need you now more than ever.

GiveBIG is May 5th & 6th (with extended donations until 5/15), and you have the opportunity to join thousands of your neighbors in supporting the local organizations that cultivate sustainable social change in the Seattle area.

From 2017 to 2018 our backpack program grew 215%. We couldn’t have achieved such significant growth without the support of our wonderful school partners. Our ability to effect meaningful change in the community is stronger when we combine our energy & resources with partners that share our values & goals. Two school partners that we have had the privilege of working & collaborating with are the Vietnamese Friendship Association & WA-BLOC.

RVFB partners with seven schools in south Seattle to provide students and families with nutritious food for the weekend—enough food for two days including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack item. Our bags always include fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat, and often include eggs and dairy.

Grab your best dancing shoes (we suggest boots), slick jeans,  & big hats! Y’all, it’s time to dine and dance the night away with Rainier Valley Food Bank. So buy your tickets and get ready to party with us at Seattle’s one and only 20-acre horse farm!

Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s already May, and y’all know what that means: our annual Urban Ag Bike Tour is right around the corner. Heading into our 5th year with support from Bike Works, participants have the opportunity to choose from FOUR tour dates! That’s four routes and four opportunities for cyclists of all levels to learn about our Southeast Seattle food system.

Yes folks, it’s March. With the fluctuation in weather around Seattle you’d think it was November! Luckily we have March Madness to keep us inside, cozy, and engaged while we wait for warmer weather. In addition to the competitive nature of March Madness, Rainier Valley Food Bank is continuing with our yearly #MunchMadness fundraiser in partnership with Rookies Sports Bar and Grill and Backyard.

There are many ways to give to a food bank. People have given their time in the form of volunteering, donations in the form of non perishable items; such as rice, pasta, snacks, cooking oils and canned goods, and hosted fun(d) drives, to name a few. These are all wonderful, necessary, and fun ways to get involved with your community! A crucial pillar to our mission is to provide fresh nutritious produce to our food guests. That’s one of the reasons people love RVFB! While purchasing produce for our guests is necessary- due to the sheer volume we serve- community gardens and p.patches have gotten involved through “growing a row” for our Food Bank. Partnering with our local food system through the Giving Garden program has allowed us to build partnerships across our community while nurturing our guests with fresh, community grown, good food.

We had another fabulous time at Rainier BAAMFEST in July! This years’ theme was “Come Together.” In order to synchronize with this theme and involve food, we worked with local artist, Isobel Davis, to help bring our vision to life! Her idea was to create a life-size edible labyrinth which participants could walk, contemplate, and harvest its small but fruitful bounty. We also chose to incorporate mandalas, using multicolored dried legumes and grains.

This summer we are excited to announce RVFB’s 4th annual Urban Ag Bike Tour in partnership with Bike Works. Participants have the opportunity to choose from THREE tour dates! That’s three routes and three opportunities for cyclists of all levels to learn about our  Southeast Seattle food system.

When most people envision food bank food, canned goods nearing their expiration date generally come to mind. Step foot into Rainier Valley Food Bank on any given day and that image evaporates. Hunger goes beyond people starving with not enough calories to consume. While there may be numerous corner stores offering canned soups for $0.60 a can, affordable options for local, chemical – free romaine, are harder to find.

#25daysofgratitude post is dedicated to the restaurants that make our annual Chow Down fundraiser possible. Each summer restaurants and bars in Columbia City and Hillman City provide quick, tasty bites for food adoring participants. Folks are able to partake in this delicious culinary adventure by purchasing a passport that is stamped at each location in exchange for an iconic bite. These passport sales directly benefit Rainier Valley Food Bank and highlight the unique and vibrant culinary culture of South Seattle.

This summer we are excited to announce RVFB’s 3rd annual Urban Ag Bike Tour in partnership with Bike Works, on not one, not two, but THREE tour dates! That’s three routes and three opportunities for cyclists of all levels to learn about our Southeast Seattle food system.

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.