Food Lifeline
Formation1979
TypeNon-profit
HeadquartersSeattle, Washington
Region
Western, Washington
Websitehttps://foodlifeline.org/

Food Lifeline is a non-profit organization that supplies food to different food banks across Western Washington. Food Lifeline is responsible for repackaging and delivering food to 275 different organizations that distribute meals to the Western Washington population.[1] Out of all the food distributed to these different organizations, 30% of the meals end up coming directly from Food Lifeline alone.[2] Food Lifeline is part of a nationwide non-profit called Feeding America and assists in collecting food that would otherwise go to waste.[3]

In 1979 Food Lifeline was founded and it is now managed and operated by a board of directors.[1] Approximately forty percent of food in America goes to waste due to the inability to handle and move food from place to place before it perishes.[4] Food Lifeline operates to stop this food, especially perishables such as vegetables and fruits, from going into landfills.

Location and distribution

Several culinary fruits. Fruits and other perishable items that are discarded by grocery stores are reclaimed by Food Lifeline to feed Western Washington.

Mass quantities, nearly 21 million pounds, of food are brought to, repackaged at, and distributed from Food Lifeline's two warehouses.[2] One warehouse is located in Shoreline, Washington and the second location is at SoDo, Washington. This food comes from restaurants, grocery stores, farmers, and food manufacturers.[5] Every day Food Lifeline is able to distribute 88,000 meals with the help from over 10,000 volunteers.[1]

Currently, Food Lifeline is working towards creating one main work station, to be called the Hunger Solution Center, in Seattle, Washington.[6][7] With 190,000 square feet of space, this new headquarters will help Food Lifeline save even more food.[6] Food Lifeline estimates that it can distribute up to 100 million pounds of food every year from this new workplace compared to its previous 30 million pounds.[8]

Fundraisers

Food Lifeline interacts with various companies and individuals to raise money through team fundraising events. The organization has had an annual fundraiser for the past four years. In the 2015 effort, Food Lifeline raised $210,000, which funded one million meals.[9] Food Lifeline, with the help of local chefs, auctioned off different culinary lessons, kitchen appliances, and dinner reservations at restaurants.[9]

Food Lifeline has partnered with the NFL Seattle Seahawks and Chef John Howie in the Kick Hunger Challenge – Taste of the NFL.[10] Across the US, the NFL teams raise money throughout the football season to combat hunger; Food Lifeline has won this challenge over the past three years and is working towards a fourth victory.[11] In 2014 the fundraiser raised $83,000 for Food Lifeline.[10][12]

Food Lifeline programs

To combat hunger, Food Lifeline created various programs to ensure good food isn't wasted. These programs include Kids Cafe, Grocery Rescue, Seattle's Table, Mobile Food Pantry, and Target Meals for Minds.[13][14]

Kids Cafe

Kids Cafe is a program that Food Lifeline, partnering with Volunteers of America, created to combat summertime hunger for kids who do not have ready access to healthy meals.[15][16][17] During the school year approximately 485,000 children in Western Washington are on free or reduced lunch but during the summer months many of these kids go hungry.[15][18] That is where Food Lifeline steps in and is now providing nutritious bag lunches through Kids Cafe. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene visited a Kids Cafe located in Sultan, Washington, mentioning that Food Lifeline has her full support in reducing hunger in Western Washington.[17]

Grocery Rescue

The goal of Grocery Rescue is to partner with grocery retail stores, such as QFC and Fred Meyer to save food that would otherwise end up in landfill.[19] Food that is considered unsellable could include items approaching their sell-by dates or produce that does not have the optimal quality look.[20]

Seattle's Table

Beginning in 1989, Seattle's Table collects prepared food from neighboring restaurants, schools, hotels, and corporate cafeterias that would otherwise be sent to the landfill and disperses the food to 50 different meal plans throughout all of King County that then create hot meals for those in need.[21]

Mobile Food Pantry

Started in the summer of 2013 as an effort to help disperse more fresh food to areas in need throughout Western Washington. Though Food Lifeline feeds nearly 1 million people annually, there are still some that are not reached due to geographical barriers and little access. The Mobile Food Pantry aids in reaching these people. It delivers fresh food to the King County area, as well as Cowlitz and Whatcom counties, with plans to expand to neighboring counties.[22]

Target Meals for Minds

Target Meals for Minds provides meals to families of children that qualify for free or reduced lunches. Families can fill up grocery bags with fruits, veggies, meats, starches, and kid friendly foods right at school.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "About Food Lifeline". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Partners: Horizon House and Food Lifeline – Seattle, WA". Horizon House. February 4, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  3. ^ "Find Your Local Food Bank". Feeding America. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  4. ^ "The Problem". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  5. ^ Food Lifeline: Together we can solve hunger, retrieved October 19, 2015
  6. ^ a b "The Solution". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  7. ^ "Hunger-relief group considers expansion at Nickelsville location". The Seattle Times. October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  8. ^ "Food Lifeline Unveils Our New Hunger Solution Center". Food Lifeline. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Chefs help Food Lifeline raise money for a million meals". The Seattle Times. March 30, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Bothell chef and former Seahawk team up for fundraiser – Bothell Reporter". Bothell Reporter. September 24, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  11. ^ "Kick Hunger Challenge Update". Food Lifeline. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  12. ^ "Seattle wins another taste of the Super Bowl". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  13. ^ "Food Lifeline Cafe Helps Hungry Kids – 425 Magazine". 425 Magazine. June 20, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  14. ^ "Innovative Programs". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Free Meals Provide a Lifeline to Seattle-Area Kids – ParentMap". www.parentmap.com. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  16. ^ "Guest: Where do hungry kids go during the summer?". The Seattle Times. August 22, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  17. ^ a b "DelBene visits Sultan's busy Kids Café summer lunch program". Monroe Monitor. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  18. ^ "Kids Cafe". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  19. ^ "2013 Annual Report" (PDF). Thurston County Food Bank. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  20. ^ "Grocery Rescue". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  21. ^ "Seattle's Table". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  22. ^ "Mobile Food Pantry". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  23. ^ "Target Meals for Minds". Food Lifeline. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
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