SEATTLE — Shoppers at local Safeway and Albertsons stores in Washington state can join the effort to fight hunger this holiday season, by buying a Virtual Hunger Bag.
It's just one way to take part in KING 5 and Northwest Harvest's Home Team Harvest campaign.
Despite the name, the Virtual Hunger Bag is not actually a bag full of groceries.
"The reason we call it a Virtual Hunger Bag is, the bag represents food that will go to that family. But the family actually gets a gift card and they're buying the type of food they'd like to put in that bag," said Sara Osborne, the director of External Affairs for Safeway and Albertsons.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Osborne said food insecurity in Washington state is twice as high as it has been in the past and the need for assistance is greater than ever before.
“We also know that 40% of the people who are struggling with food insecurity, have never before relied on a food bank or even assistance to buy food,” said Osborne.
She said the goal behind the Virtual Hunger Bag is to allow families to shop like normal, especially during the holiday season.
"Families are going through a lot of trauma, just with the loss of income, and the quarantine, the loss of jobs. On top of that, they're having to find all new ways to access food," said Osborne. "We want to help alleviate that trauma and let them shop how they always shopped before and let their family eat the foods they've always eaten before."
You can buy a Virtual Hunger Bag for $5, $10 or $12 at your local Safeway or Albertsons. Donations will be distributed to Northwest Harvest and hunger programs across Washington.
Join us for the 20th anniversary of KING 5's annual Home Team Harvest event, benefiting Northwest Harvest. This year’s goal is to raise enough funds and donations to provide 20 million meals for families in need in Washington state.
Northwest Harvest is the largest independent hunger relief agency in the state, working tirelessly with more than 375 local food banks, meal programs, and high-need schools to end hunger and provide equitable access to nutritious food for all our Washington neighbors.