Food for thought…

Without wanting to state the obvious – access to food is an essential element of health and well-being. Lack of adequate food impacts on both our short and long-term health and also effects children’s psychosocial development and learning (Communities Count: Social and Community Indicators Across King County (2008).

In a 2007 survey, up to 8.2% of adults in one area of King County reported that they often or sometimes ran out of food and did not have money to purchase more. The same survey found that 8.4% of King County adults could not always afford to eat balanced meals (in Seattle the rate was 10.8%). (Figures from: Communities Count: Social and Community Indicators Across King County (2008), King County Public Health Department)

Seattle has a number of food banks which seek to address the issue of food insecurity. The number of King County residents who rely on food banks in order to have enough food for themselves and their families is not known but one programme, King County food banks, served 110,292 households and 215,941 people in 2007. These families used food bank services an average of 7.2 times during the year (Figures from: Communities Count: Social and Community Indicators Across King County (2008), King County Public Health Department).

I visited one Food Bank South of the city , in Auburn, to see what went on.



Debbie Christian, Director of Auburn Food Bank, WA.



Debbie Christian is the Director of the Auburn Food bank which serves around 2, 100 homes which equates to around 8,500 people each month. Auburn has a very diverse population of around 68,000 and also has the lowest income per capita in South King County. Auburn also has the highest teen pregnancy rate and the highest rate of single parents in the County.  As you might expect, there are also a large number of agencies serving the community but Debbie described the food bank as the “first line of defence for those in need”. They act as a hub for referrals from and to other agencies as many of the people accessing the food bank have multiple issues they may need support or assistance with.

Talking to Debbie about the Food Banks history – I realise Auburn Food Bank originated as a result of social capital in a community. It began as the Auburn Community Chest, an organisation set up after a family home was burned down in the 1930’s and local people got together to help rehouse the family and provide replacement furniture and furnishings. The Community Chest continued to provide furniture and resources to families in need until making a decision to focus solely on food provision.

I asked Debbie about how people accessed the Food Bank and she explained that the only criteria is that they must live in Auburn, “All that is required is proof of an Auburn address”, (an exception is made for homeless people who do not need to provide this). Access to the food bank provision is not means tested as, as Debbie said, “we work on the basis that if people turn up it’s because they need to and they’re hungry – I don’t believe people would choose to visit a food bank if they had a choice – it’s a matter of pride and dignity”.

People can access food packages twice a month. Packages are made up of tinned fruit and vegetables, rice or grain, bread products. 90% of the food is donated from a regional food bank supplier and the rest from local grocery stores and people in the community. Often times the food packages will include other personal care items such as soap and toilet paper – as Debbie said, “if you can’t afford food – you’re not going to be buying soap or personal hygiene products and we know it’s important for people’s self-respect and self-esteem that they can look after themselves and start the day ‘fresh’…especially if they might be looking for work or whatever.”

Food Bank Vounteer Sandy -
sorting food and making up packs.

The food bank has a large number of volunteers and relies on around 20 volunteers each day to function. On the day I visited, volunteers were hard at work on the front desk, bagging and packing food in the kitchen, unloading newly arrived produce off the van, and handing out the surplus food out front (food that needs to be taken and used that day) - it was a real hive of activity and energy! I asked about the food bank  volunteers and Debbie explained that, many had been with the organisation for a long time and gave a huge committment and that Auburn has, “a lot of loving caring people who say they’ll take care of their own.”

In addition to the direct food provision, the food bank also provides:

·         Two Community Dinners each week and a number of lunch programmes.

·         Two food delivery programmes, one delivers food packages to seniors who are house bound and another is for families with small children.

·         A financial aid programme where people can apply for up to $250 to cover ‘emergencies’ such as paying unpaid bills or emergency medicine needs.

·        Signposting and referrals to other services e.g. homeless shelter, pregnancy care programme.

They have also recently appointed a cook who runs a two hour session every Wednesday to help people learn what to do with some of the produce and items they may get in their packages. Debbie explained, “Often times there might items such as dried beans or other unfamiliar foods in the food packages, and many people don’t know how to use these. So, the cooking sessions were set up to help overcome this issue.”

The YMCA and the city of Auburn have also run a course on "eating healthy on a tight budget” to help people make better shopping choices. In addition to teaching people new skills, these sessions have proved a good meeting place for community members who have started to turn up early to sessions to chat and play cards together. The sessions have become a social occasion thereby increasing community engagement, reducing social exclusion and helping build social capital – as well as building capacity and teaching new skills.

The Auburn Food Bank really is a central hub for people - not only to access essential food - but to find out about other services, meet new people and learn new skills - and is clearly making an important contribution to building social capital in the community it serves.