As Safety Nets Unravel, We Must Strengthen Our Collective Response to Hunger

In Washington state, more than 890,000 people face food insecurity daily. Behind this statistic are real families choosing between paying rent and putting food on the table, children attending school hungry, seniors rationing medication to afford groceries, and veterans waiting in food bank lines. 

These realities existed before the recent federal program cuts and proposed state budget cuts. Now, our most vulnerable neighbors face even greater challenges as support is drastically reduced. 

When food assistance programs like SNAP are cut back, the effects are immediate. Families lose vital food assistance. Fewer pregnant women and children receive nutritional help. Struggling households experience increased hunger, debt, and health problems—ultimately increasing healthcare costs for our entire community. 

Food insecurity impacts different communities in different ways: 

• Communities of color experience hunger at twice the rate of white communities 

• Rural areas and neighborhoods with few grocery stores face barriers to food access 

• Immigrant families often hesitate to seek benefits they qualify for due to fear 

• Children without enough food face lasting impacts on development and education 

Our statewide network of emergency food providers, community organizations, and advocates shares a common purpose. We believe that progress toward ending hunger must continue. We do not accept hunger as inevitable. We remain committed to our shared purpose. 

Together, we pledge to: 

• Strengthen our combined efforts to reach more people in need 

• Amplify the voices of those most impacted by hunger and food insecurity 

• Help everyone understand that hunger results from systemic problems, not personal failings 

• Support neighbor-to-neighbor aid networks 

• Demonstrate that community-centered solutions can work, even when other support decreases 

The path forward requires working together across differences. Hunger affects people of all backgrounds. A child who doesn’t have enough to eat needs solutions, not division. A senior choosing between food and medicine needs help, not arguments. 

We’ve seen this unity in action before. When pandemic food assistance ended in 2023, communities across Washington came together. Faith groups opened food pantries. Neighbors shared food. Local governments provided funding. Together, we found new ways to help more people. 

It wasn’t enough—it’s never enough when anyone goes hungry—but it showed what we can accomplish together. That same commitment guides us today. 

To decision-makers: We are paying attention to how policy choices affect hunger in our communities. We remain committed to advocating for effective solutions to food insecurity. 

To those experiencing hunger: We see you. We are with you. You deserve dignity, respect, and access to nutritious food. Your needs matter. 

To all Washingtonians: Join us. Volunteer at local food programs. Support efforts that strengthen food security. Question assumptions that blame individuals for system-wide failings. Demand that your elected officials make hunger a priority. 

As resources become more limited, the stakes get higher and our work grows more challenging, but our commitment grows stronger. When we join together—across regions and backgrounds—we become a force more powerful than any single policy or administration. 

Hunger can end. It must end. And with our collective action, it will end. 

This statement represents the collective voice of 35 food assistance organizations across Washington: 

WASHINGTON NORTH 

Bellingham Foodbank 
Mike Cohen 

Blaine Food Bank 
Lisa Dobbin 

Port Angeles Food Bank
Emily Dexter

WASHINGTON CENTRAL & NORTHEAST 

The COVE 
Glenn Schmekel 

Highland Food Bank 
Paige Matson 

HopeSource 
Sam Puntenney 

Loon Lake Food Bank
Liz Bauer

Mattawa Area Food Bank 
Pamela K. Bunger 

Royal City Foodbank 
Mary Eilers 

Upper Valley Mend 
Bob Mark 

Yakima Rotary Food Bank 
Ken Jones 

CENTRAL PUGET SOUND 

Arlington Community Food Bank 

Byrd Barr Place
Angela Griffin

Colored Girls Garden Club 
Yvette Dinish 

Edmonds Food Bank 
Casey Davis 

Fall City Community Food Pantry 
Sarah Curtis Greer  

Feeding Feasible Feasts 
Angel Swanson 

Gifts from the Heart Food Bank
Molly Hughes

Jewish Family Service
Sandy Lowe

Northwest Harvest 
Natasha Dworkin 

North Helpline 
Louren Reed 

Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank 
Pamela Hinckley 

Skykomish Food Bank 
Gillian Esson 

Snohomish County Food Coalition 
Carla Rankin 

Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank 
Alison Roberts 

Tukwila School District 
Carrie Stradley 

University District Food Bank 
Joe Gruber 

UTOPIA Washington 
Taffy Johnson 

White Center Food Bank 
Carmen Smith 

SOUTH PUGET SOUND 

Nourish Pierce County 
Sue Potter 

My Sister’s Pantry 
Rhys Crane 

WASHINGTON SOUTHEAST 
The Chewelah Food Bank 
Colleen Antoine 

Shalom Ministries 
Gregg Sealey 

WASHINGTON SOUTHWEST 

Ocean Park Food Bank 
Michael Goldberg 

Ocean Shores Food Bank 
Sandra L. Harley 

St Vincent de Paul Ilwaco Food Bank 
Rachel Gana