SPANAWAY, Wash. — One woman is working to make sure people feel comfortable and dignified when they receive food assistance in Pierce and King Counties.
Although the pantries sitting in parking lots in the area, like in Spanaway, may look out of place, their goal is to make people feel like they belong.
There are nine free food hubs across Pierce and King counties ran by Angel Swanson and her organization Feeding Feasible Feasts. They are always stocked and unlocked.
"We go through, in a hub in a day, maybe 100 to 120 loaves of bread,” said Swanson.
The hubs are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and are open to anyone. The hub in Spanaway serves more than 100 visitors a day. Since the hubs are not staffed, the doors have devices that count how many times they are opened.
“So, the idea here is just to try to establish as many of these as we can in the communities that most desperately need it,” said Swanson.
Angel Swanson knows how important it is to have food available for families, because she was once in need herself.
“When I first came to the state, I was at the food bank once a week, I had seven kids,” said Swanson.
Swanson knows that food should not only be available, but also accessible.
“I had to take all my children with me,” said Swanson of when she had to go to food pantries. “I didn't have a car, so we took the bus and walked part of the way because my husband had the only car.”
The goal of the hubs is to increase dignity and reduce stigma, but also to get our society to a place food is available for all.
“People are hungry, and they need assistance with food and it should not cost part of their soul to get it,” said Swanson.
KING 5’s annual Home Team Harvest drive to benefit Northwest Harvest is underway. This year’s goal is to raise 21 million meals.
Ways to donate:
- Online at KING5.com/hometeamharvest
- Text “HOMETEAM” to 41444
- Starting Nov. 1, visit your local Safeway or Albertsons to give $5, $10 or $12 toward grocery cards.
Watch the Home Team Harvest broadcast special on Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. on KING 5, KING5.com and the KING 5 mobile app.