Summary
King County awarded $2.75 million in capital grants to local food banks and food assistance programs to strengthen food security in the region.
Story
Today, Executive Girmay Zahilay announced a combined $2.75 million in capital grant funding for 30 local food assistance providers and community food programs to improve food security in King County.
The grants, which range from $11,000 to $450,000, will address long-term infrastructure needs and enhance the local food system. Funding will support projects ranging from facility improvements to the purchase of refrigerated vans for mobile food delivery services.
“The need for food assistance in King County communities has never been greater. As the cost of groceries continues to rise, more seniors, families, and working people are relying on food banks and community partners to put food on the table. At the same time, these organizations are being stretched thin as demand continues to increase,” said Executive Zahilay. “That’s why King County is making a dedicated capital investment for these organizations so that they can improve their facilities, expand capacity, and continue to serve neighbors in need. Everyone in our region deserves access to healthy, affordable food, and we remain committed to supporting the local organizations working every day to make that possible.”
“The cost of groceries has skyrocketed, squeezing budgets of many King County residents and forcing an increasing number of people in our community to go hungry. In response, King County established a new capital facilities grant program to help address the growing scourge of hunger faced by county residents,” said Councilmember Rod Dembowski. “I am excited to see these funds put to work in building out over $2 million of food security infrastructure county-wide on things like facility improvements, refrigerators, freezers, kitchen upgrades, and food delivery trucks. Capital investments like these keep delivering results, year after year, and represent some of the very best investments we make. I am especially happy that $346,000 will fund a mobile food market truck to serve residents in Magnuson Park in my district. In partnership with Rep. Farivar and Rep. Pollet, we have been working to help residents living in this food desert who have no convenient access to affordable, healthy groceries. Funding the University District Food Bank’s proposal for a mobile market addresses this critical need. Going forward, I am committed to using the power of King County government to fight for a future where no one in our community goes hungry.”
More than 70 organizations applied for grants, underscoring the urgent need in our community. Here are a few of the projects that will receive funding:
Kent Food Bank & Emergency Services – $450,000: Support the purchase of the current food bank facility and make critical improvements to create a safer, more efficient working environment and improve capacity to meet the growing community need for healthy food options.
University District Food Bank – $346,000: Purchase a mobile market vehicle to expand access to nutritious, culturally familiar food in Magnuson Park and nearby communities in northeast Seattle, including LIHI’s Sand Point Cottage Community and the Radford Court area, which face transportation and grocery-access barriers.
Nested Communities – $320,500: Increase food storage and distribution capacity through the purchase of commercial refrigeration systems, a refrigerated delivery vehicle, and other capital equipment to expand access to culturally responsive food for low-income and historically underserved communities throughout south King County.
El Centro de la Raza – $300,000: Complete the renovation of a new food bank marketplace in El Centro de la Raza’s historic building to improve access to healthy food for community members experiencing food insecurity in a welcoming, safe and dignified environment.
Living Well Kent Collaborative – $132,691: Purchase a refrigerated cargo delivery van to expand capacity to bring fresh, temperature-controlled produce and pantry staples directly to food-insecure families who cannot safely visit Living Well Kent’s Cultural Food Pantry in Auburn.
Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank – $102,050: Purchase an electric refrigerated cargo van for daily food rescue, grocery recovery, and food distribution operations throughout the Snoqualmie Valley and surrounding communities.
Lifelong Health For All – $84,405: Purchase a new refrigerated cargo van to deliver medically tailored meals and nutritious groceries to medically vulnerable clients across King County.
Skykomish Food Bank – $70,283: Purchase a new cargo van and a commercial freezer to strengthening the food bank’s ability reliably collect, store, and distribute good-quality, nutritious food to underserved communities rural east King County.
Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center – $67,285: Purchase a new delivery van to enhance Oxbow’s ability to deliver produce to communities across King County.
Sound Generations – $66,977: Purchase a freezer cargo van to distribute food to older adults through Sound Generations’ two food security programs, Meals on Wheels and Community Dining.
YMCA of Greater Seattle – $59,269: Renovate outdated kitchens at the Arcadia shelter in Auburn and the Coal Creek branch in Newcastle to improve food security and access.
Other grantees include the Des Moines Area Food Bank, FareStart, Good Business Network of Washington, Luther’s Table, Mary’s Place Seattle, the Multi-Service Center, the Pacific Islander Community Association, Pike Market Senior Center, Psarras Foundation, Renewal Food Bank, Sustainable Renton, SanArte, Tilth Alliance, Tongan Community Food Pantry, United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance (UTOPIA) Washington, the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank, and the White Center Food Bank.
The investments will advance King County’s Local Food Initiative, promoting a sustainable, equitable food economy that better connects farmers to communities. The county’s Land Conservation Initiative also strengthens the food economy by protecting local farmland.
To celebrate the local food system, King County Parks will host the annual CHOMP! Festival at Marymoor Park on Saturday, August 15. The free, family-friendly festival supports King County’s Local Food Initiative which seeks to strengthen the local food and farm economy and access to healthy, affordable food for all residents.
What Partners Are Saying:
Jeniece Choate, Executive Director, Kent Food Bank & Emergency Services
“The Food Security Capital Grant is a transformative investment in the future of Kent Food Bank & Emergency Services. This funding provides the critical gap financing needed to secure ownership of our facility, ensuring we can continue serving families for years to come. It will also help us improve our donation area, making it safer and more efficient for volunteers, donors, and staff. We are deeply grateful for this investment in the long-term sustainability of our organization and our ability to serve the community.”
Christine Bingham Bagley, Development Coordinator, University District Food Bank
“We are incredibly grateful to have been selected for funding through the 2026–2027 Food Security Capital Grant program and appreciate King County’s investment in expanding food access in our community.”
Estela Ortega, Executive Director, El Centro de la Raza
“Every week, hundreds of families rely on our food bank for nutritious food and support. The King County Food Security Capital Grant will help us transform our food bank into a modern marketplace that serves our community with greater dignity, efficiency and care. This investment will allow us to serve more neighbors, expand access to nutritious and culturally familiar foods and create an indoor waiting area that reflects the respect every family deserves as part of our vision for a larger, safer and welcoming marketplace that addresses food insecurity in our community.”
Adam Porter, Director of Meals on Wheels, Sound Generations
“Sound Generations, and particularly our Meals on Wheels program, is thrilled to be able to purchase a freezer van that will enable us to deliver nutritious meals to more homebound older adults thanks to this grant through King County.”
Danny Chang, Executive Director, the Psarras Foundation
“This award brings us one meaningful step closer to putting a food truck on the road for the children and families in Renton, Tukwila, White Center, and South Seattle who need us most.”
Calib Miller, Executive Director, Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank
“We are incredibly grateful to King County for this investment in our mission. As the needs in our region continue to grow, this grant will help us expand access to nutritious food, strengthen our mobile distribution efforts, and reach more neighbors where they are. Together, we’re building a more resilient, connected food system, and we’re excited to continue serving King County and ensuring more families have reliable access to the food and resources they need to thrive.”