SEATTLE — Taylor Swift and her legion of fans are descending upon Seattle for her latest stop on the Eras Tour.
Two nights of sold-out shows at Lumen Field means well over 140,000 fans will be navigating the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. Swift is breaking records with her tour and using her influence in charitable ways. She supported her fans, made donations to food banks, PETA, UNICEF and The Red Cross. Her massive fanbase is following suit and Seattle could benefit in more ways than one.
Swifties from the National Charity League stopped by to volunteer at Northwest Harvests SODO Community Market on Friday.
“We are lucky to have dedicated volunteers and today we have some Swifties in the house!” says Jeanie Chunn with Northwest Harvest.
The SODO Community market serves as a free grocery store where anyone facing food insecurity can stop by to shop for food and essentials without paying when they leave. National Charity League (NCL) volunteers supported the market today as guests stopped by for packaged foods, fresh fruits and vegetables and more. NCL is a national nonprofit that encourages mothers and daughters to serve their communities together. The organization donates nearly 3 million hours of time to more than 6,000 charities across the country. It’s estimated to make an $86 million dollar impact each year and empowers today's girls to become tomorrow's leaders.
Leslie and her daughter, Bailey, were among the volunteers today. They represent the Lake Washington Chapter of NCL.
“I joined NCL with my daughter because I had already done it with my mom when I was growing up and it was really important to give back to the community that serves us and get involved,” says Leslie.
Now, 16-year-old Bailey is on the National Youth Advisory Council for NCL and says being a Swiftie is a natural fit.
“It’s only right that I give back. I'm fortunate to even be in a position to volunteer here and it’s nice to provide people with a real shopping experience,” Bailey said.
The pair were adorned in handmade Taylor Swift friendship bracelets.
Northwest Harvest reminds us that the summer can be a challenging time to attract volunteers and donations.
“People don’t often think about food insecurity during the summer months because it’s a carefree time but the reality is a lot of families don’t have access to those meals that their children would be receiving," Chunn said.
It’s estimated that one in 12 Washingtonians struggle with hunger every day. KING 5 is a proud supporter of Northwest Harvest and you can support the organization with a financial donation or by volunteering.
The Northwest Harvest SODO Community Market is located at 1915 4th Avenue S, near the corner of 4th Avenue S & S Holgate Street and is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with food and services like healthcare, housing, legal and more.