A Neighborhood Solution
It’s just before noon at the Providence Regina Food Bank in South Park, and the line out front is already wrapping around the street corner. Neighbors in this South Seattle neighborhood are chatting, children are bundled up against a recent cold snap, and there’s a sense of community among those who come here every Thursday for a week’s worth of nutritious food.
Inside, volunteers move with a sense of purpose as they fill long tables with fruits, vegetables, and pantry staples. Angela Mork is stacking loaves of bread at the far end of this converted fire station. She’s been a volunteer here for a couple of years but first arrived as a guest in 2018.
“When I first came here, I was so ashamed. I felt so bad. And they made me feel welcome. They learned my name, and that made me feel so good.”
Angela comes here to help keep food on the table for herself, her husband, and her teenage son.
“Rents started to go up a few years ago, money got a little tighter, and coming here was a way that I could help ease that burden on my family with what they provide here.”
Even though her husband works full-time, the family struggles to afford the food they need to thrive. With rampant inflation and food costs rising nearly 30% in the past two years, shopping at traditional grocery stores has become a luxury they can’t afford.
“At the grocery store, it’s now $600 for what you used to get for $300.It got to the point where I needed to pay other bills, but I also needed to figure out how to feed the family, so I came down here.”
Mercedes, a mother of five, is also here because food prices have gotten too high. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she and her husband work full-time, yet they still can’t afford the food they need.
“My son was sick, so I went to the grocery store to get ingredients for a soup. For one chicken, it was $13. For the whole soup, it was $35. Just the chicken and the vegetables.”
Mercedes also struggles because the South Park neighborhood is economically depressed and doesn’t offer her anywhere to shop.
“There are no grocery stores here, and I have to go a long way to get to one. This is in my neighborhood, and the food is so very good.”
Ernesto is an 83-year-old retired construction worker with bright blue eyes and a warm smile. Every week he picks up food that will help him create meals for the week. He lives on Social Security and receives $110 every month in SNAP benefits,
“It’s hard living on so little money. The food stamps help, but the food bank really makes a big difference.”
But it’s not just the amount of food that Ernesto receives, it’s the types of food. Today, Ernesto will take home his favorite.
“I’m Filipino,” says Ernesto. “And we eat fish in our country, so it’s good to get the fish here that I like.”
As the line begins to move through the food bank, volunteers greet the guests with smiles and hellos. They know most of them by name. A retired hospitality worker named Sue makes her way to the tables with fresh fruits and vegetables.
“I like the apples, the oranges, all the things to make salads. These things have become very expensive.”
Food Lifeline has sourced these foods from the Amazon Fresh donation program, and according to Angela, they are quite popular with the guests.
“The food we receive from Amazon is amazing. The produce is so fresh, you can really taste the difference! It is really good.”