Meet our corporate partner, McKinstry. Since starting as a small plumbing shop in Seattle in 1960, McKinstry has grown to a full-service design, build, operate, maintain firm employing over 2,000 professionals across the country who focus their expertise on high-performance and energy-efficient buildings. Along the way, McKinstry has become an invaluable partner in helping us feed our neighbors experiencing hunger throughout Western Washington.
For the past two years, Food Lifeline has been an integral part of “The McKinstry Experience” – McKinstry’s immersive two-day new hire orientation in Seattle for all employees. To reflect McKinstry’s core value of community service and giving back, a key part of The McKinstry Experience includes learning about McKinstry’s work in local communities and sorting/repacking food at Food Lifeline’s warehouse. In addition to providing a great team-building experience for new employees from across the U.S. at every level and in every discipline, it’s a key demonstration of the importance of community and how everyone can make a positive impact on those living around them. McKinstry enables their employees to engage in community service on company time throughout the year, as well as provides numerous opportunities for employees to influence philanthropy through the McKinstry Charitable Foundation.
In 2019, McKinstry joined our South Park mobile food distribution, where McKinstry employees each month distribute fresh produce to low income families with a family member experiencing a chronic health issue. By committing to staffing the South Park distribution every month, McKinstry has greatly helped our Community Programs Manager with friendly, reliable assistance.
“Food Lifeline consistently provides a high-caliber, organized, and impactful service opportunity for our staff,” said Ashley Ruiz, Diversity, Inclusion, & Community Relations Director for McKinstry. “During each visit to the warehouse, Food Lifeline educates our staff about food insecurity, facilitates an organized and engaging project, and provides real-time data on the impact we made. Without fail, our staff love serving at Food Lifeline and return motivated, energized, and inspired to give back.”
Volunteers are the backbone of our operation at Food Lifeline. We’ve seen McKinstry continue to invest in our work as their volunteer hours continue to grow, from 205 hours in 2016, to 415 in 2017, to 529 in 2018. In 2019, McKinstry is on pace to donate over 550 hours – the equivalent of a full-time employee for three months. Our volunteers make financial donations go further so we’re able to source more proteins and fresh produce and get those items into underserved communities that need them most.
To further support the work we do, McKinstry recently announced a new multi-year gift to Food Lifeline from the McKinstry Charitable Foundation which will enable us to provide 80,000 meals to people experiencing hunger throughout Western Washington over the next four years. We are so grateful for our long-time community partner and the ongoing support we receive from McKinstry!
