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KOMO News and Food Lifeline Team Up to Raise $57,921

By Sarah Dean | Thursday February 20, 2025

On February 7, KOMO News and Food Lifeline raised over $57,000 during the KOMO Food Drive to help our neighbors facing food insecurity in Western Washington. It was an action-packed day, with KOMO News Crews reporting live at both the Hunger Solution Center, where volunteers sorted and packed food for distribution, and at the telethon in KOMO’s Seattle based studios, where volunteers staffed phone banks to take donations from the public.

We’re incredibly grateful to our community, for showing up in such a big way to support our work. Thank you to each and every person who donated or volunteered to help our neighbors in Western Washington.

Special thanks to BECU and Optum Care Washington for sponsoring the KOMO Food Drive. BECU matched caller donations with a $25,000 donation and recruited volunteer teams to sort food at Food Lifeline’s Hunger Solution Center, and answering phones at KOMO’s studios. Optum Care donated $10,000 and also had volunteer teams assisting at the warehouse. Both companies are committed supporters of Food Lifeline’s mission. Also on board this year was the Sunset Auto Family with dealerships in Sumner and Auburn, who collected food that was then delivered to Food Lifeline. Several pallets of food have already been delivered, and more food is coming in.

The event comes at a critical time, as the rate of food insecurity in our region has surged dramatically over the past year with food bank visits in Western Washington up 25%. KOMO’s coverage of our partner community food banks in Western Washington highlighted all the amazing work being done by these organizations to end food insecurity, and has helped direct public attention to the critical state of hunger in the Puget Sound.