SEATTLE — The need for food assistance is constant across all of Washington state.
Northwest Harvest is a nonprofit organization that supports people and community partners to end food insecurity in the state.
"We see an average of like 1,300 visitors a week in Seattle and something like 1,800 visitors a week in Yakima," said Nicole King, Northwest Harvest director of innovative programs.
According to Northwest Harvest, one in 12 households experiences food insecurity and one in six Washington children live in a household that faces challenges in putting food on the table.
Because Washington state has diverse cultural communities, Northwest Harvest knows it's working to help families of many backgrounds.
King said SODO Community Market shoppers sometimes offer to share more about themselves and their families with volunteers or staff. However, King said it's important to remember that a typical grocery store will never ask a prospective shopper for their identification or cultural background, the market is certain to also refrain from doing so.
"We don't want to discourage anyone who might not have documentation or might feel weird about bringing all of their stuff in and showing it to a total stranger," King said. "So, we really just want to promote dignity. We want to promote access. If someone shows up and they need food - they get to walk away with some food."
While the nonprofit does not track the ethnic demographics of those who need food assistance, a 2022 joinSurvey by the University of Washington and Washington State University revealed food insecurity was higher among respondents identifying as Black or Hispanic, or another race - including American Indian or Alaskan native.
King said a voucher program also allows shoppers to visit community partner stores that may offer specialty imported foods.
Community members are also encouraged to host their own food drives.
You can host a food drive to collect more diverse foods to help feed culturally diverse families who may need food assistance.
"We love to see donations that are high packed in protein, spices are really expensive and pop-top cans are really helpful for folks that are living outside, King said.