What actions would you take as a state legislator to protect and strengthen Washington’s food security safety net, including both public nutrition programs and the food banks and food pantries serving communities across the state?

We are living in a time of record wealth inequality, while corporations and the ultra-wealthy are enjoying record profits – they are not paying their fair share.  We need to address our regressive taxation system in our state.  I have worked in providing human services and approached our policymakers for funding for these vital programs and are told “we don’t have the budget.”   Yet, we have some of the largest corporations and wealthiest individuals in our state.  At a root cause, we must ensure that we close corporate tax loopholes as well as preventing further tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.  This will provide the needed budget – literally billions of dollars annually to help support these programs for the long haul.

What have you done to understand food insecurity in the communities you seek to represent—including engaging with people experiencing hunger or local hunger-relief organizations—and what policies would you prioritize to address the root causes of hunger and ensure Washington residents can afford and access the food they need?

My family is rooted in community service and have served in the nonprofit field for over 16 years.  I have volunteered at organizations such as Helping Hand for Relief and Development – which have collected and distributed aid to refugees globally; I have been there in warehouses, packing boxes and loading them onto shipping containers to help those most in need.  I have also volunteered with organizations providing food for Seattle’s unhoused communities, ensuring they have dignity and access to human services. Seeing the frontlines of this situation helps me understand the varying circumstances in which these families fall into food insecurity.   Furthermore, I have been on the frontlines of pushing back against this administration and its crackdown on communities of color.  We are seeing unprecedented federal attacks on the poor, the unhoused and those who are most vulnerable in society. As a legislator, I will prioritize these human rights – the right to food security, the right to housing, the right to healthcare, and will fight vigorously against any federal or state level attacks on these human rights.  I will also ensure that these systems are properly funded – such as school meals for K-12 students.

What policies or investments would you support to strengthen Washington’s food system, increase access to locally produced food, support Washington farmers and producers, and reduce food waste?

As a former small business owner, I know the struggles that our business community deals with.  As Washington progresses into the future to address food insecurity, it should do so at the benefit of our local farmers.  We must strengthen the statewide infrastructure of food banks and access to grocery stores in food deserts – and I will support funding these initiatives through our progressive revenue plans. I will also support legislation that sources vital food programs from local WA farmers such as HB 2463.