Investing in Community
King County Councilmember De’Sean Quinn recently visited Food Lifeline to bring some good news for those working to end food insecurity. The 5th district representative recently found his office had something unusual on its hands: surplus funds.
“We looked at last year’s spending and determined we had some funds left over. We had an internal discussion about the best place to invest these funds, and with all the headlines about federal cuts to food programs, we decided it should be hunger relief.”
So, with that in mind, his team did a little homework.
“What we did when we had that excess money was go around to all the cities in my district,” said Quinn. “Kent, Renton, Tukwila, SeaTac, Normandy Park, Des Moines, and said, ‘If we had additional money, could you recommend an organization or two that does food distribution, who you depend on for food?’ because people need to have access to food. And they all said Food Lifeline. They said, ‘If you could give anything, give it to Food Lifeline because we know that they do a really good job.’”
Even Food Lifeline partners recommended them.
“Even the organizations we talk to that Food Lifeline provides food to said, ‘Don’t give it to us; give it to Food Lifeline.”
Quinn’s office then contacted Craig Gibson, Food Lifeline’s Director of Agency Programs.
“They were looking for us to recommend exceptional partners that we work with in District 5,” says Gibson. “We used our equity lens to identify the partners that best served the community and identified three agencies with strong leadership and outstanding programs.”
Quinn’s office accepted all three recommendations.
ACT—A Common Thread, a Kent organization focusing on low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, will receive $10,000 for food purchases. Communities in Schools of Greater King County will receive $10,000 to provide food and gift cards for Renton students and their families, and the Des Moines Food Bank will receive $10,000 for general operating expenses.
At a time when federal government cuts are endangering food security efforts, Councilmember Quinn and his team are prioritizing funding access to healthy, nutritious food for everyone.
“This isn’t just money,” says Quinn. “It’s an investment in our community. And to me, there’s no better investment than ensuring everyone has enough to eat.”
Thank you to Councilman Quinn and his team for allowing us to help serve the fifth district and its constituents!