YMCA of Greater Seattle Food Access Initiatives

As food costs rise and inflation persists, hunger is increasingly becoming a pressing issue in our communities. The loss of revenue from COVID-related support has further strained organizations, resulting in reduced services and greater difficulty for families to meet their basic needs. Many young people face food insecurity after school, where access to meals is often limited. Although federal programs exist to provide meals and snacks after school, the administrative challenges involved prevent many organizations from implementing them effectively.

With dwindling resources, families are forced to make tough choices about where to allocate their limited budgets—whether to prioritize rent or food. Additionally, some programs require specific information that may disqualify individuals or deter them from seeking help due to fears of sharing personal data with government entities.

At the YMCA of Greater Seattle, we work with a wide range of partners to identify gaps, create connections, and provide direct service addressing immediate needs, ensuring our community has the best access to essential resources. We are committed to ensuring meaningful food access for individuals throughout King County. We have provided over 658,000 meals to those in need. Our initiatives include meal packs for families, weekend food packs for children, community meals that foster connection, afterschool meal programs for youth, and food pantries where community members can freely access what they need.

Want to learn more or partner with us? Contact us at foodaccess@seattleymca.org