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Dunn announces $52,000 in food security grants for local food banks as SNAP benefits run dry

October 30, 2025

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn on Thursday announced $52,000 in food security grants in the upcoming biennial budget. The awards – announced as federal SNAP benefits are set to expire Nov. 1 – will go to three local organizations: The Covington Storehouse, Plateau Outreach Ministries in Enumclaw, and the Maple Valley Food Bank.

“Local food banks are doing heroic work to make sure families don’t go hungry at a time of rising need,” Dunn said. “These District 9-specific grants will help sustain that effort and ensure that our neighbors can get healthy meals when they need them most.”

The grants are intended to help ensure that families in South and East King County have access to nutritious meals and essential support services at a time when federal food-assistance programs face uncertainty. Across the country, food banks are reporting preparations for increased demand as disruptions to SNAP and other nutrition supports ripple through local communities.

“In Enumclaw, we’re fortunate to have organizations like Plateau Outreach Ministries that provide critical support for families in need,” Enumclaw Mayor Jan Molinaro of Enumclaw said. “These grants make a meaningful difference in helping them continue that mission, and we appreciate Councilmember Dunn’s partnership and dedication to addressing food insecurity in our community.”

The funding is part of Dunn’s ongoing commitment to strengthening food security and community resilience within District 9, which includes all or portions of Bellevue, Renton, Maple Valley, Covington, Enumclaw, Black Diamond, Newcastle, Issaquah, and Kent, as well as large areas of unincorporated King County.

"We appreciate Councilmember Reagan Dunn's announcement of additional funding for local food banks, including Maple Valley Food Bank,” said Maple Valley Food Bank Executive Director Carl Dodd. “With 400 households now served weekly and rising demand due to SNAP disruptions, this support will help us rise to the challenge, restock shelves, and ensure families, including many first-time clients, have food on their tables, especially during the Holiday Season."

While these initial District 9 grants will support local food banks at the beginning of next year, Dunn said they represent only the beginning of what King County can do to assist organizations fighting hunger.

“Our local nonprofits are stepping up every day, and it’s our job to make sure they have the resources to meet the moment,” Dunn said. “I’ll be fighting throughout budget negotiations to make sure this announcement is the first of many as we work to ensure that families are fed—regardless of what the federal government does or doesn’t do.”

For more information about these grants or food-security programs in South King County, residents can contact Councilmember Dunn’s office at reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov.

“Thank you to Councilmember Dunn for always seeing the needs of our community and for standing with us at the Storehouse Food Bank in Covington,” said Covington Storehouse Executive Director Stephanie Lawson. “Councilmember Dunn’s past and ongoing support helps us feed families facing food insecurity while we begin to work toward a new building so that The Storehouse will be able to grow and serve even more people. We are truly grateful for Councilmember Dunn’s leadership, belief in what we’re doing, and willingness to step up when people need it the most.”

“We’re so grateful to Councilmember Reagan Dunn for his partnership and for releasing grant funding to support our food bank at Plateau Outreach Ministries," said Elisha Smith-Marshall, Executive Director, Plateau Outreach Ministries. "He’s proactive in reaching out, keeps his ear to the ground, and truly understands the needs of our community. His commitment helps us serve local families in need and strengthens our entire community.”

 

For more information about food bank operations and ways to support them, you can visit their webpages at:

 

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