Summary

King County is partnering with Food Lifeline to convert their 40,000-square-foot warehouse into the new South Seattle Community Food hub, providing much-needed shared space for storing, packing, and distributing fresh produce and goods to people and families experiencing hunger.

Story

Executive Dow Constantine today announced that King County is partnering with community-based organizations and Food Lifeline to convert their 40,000-square-foot warehouse into a facility that will strengthen connections between local farmers and hunger relief organizations. The South Seattle Community Food Hub will provide much-needed shared space for storing, packing, and distributing fresh produce and goods to people and families experiencing food insecurity.

The partnership will receive $4 million in federal funding secured by Sen. Patty Murray along with $1 million from a COVID-19 recovery package developed by Executive Constantine and approved by the King County Council, which will help the warehouse renovation begin in the spring.

“The food hub we’re creating with partners will provide the space and equipment needed to better connect local farmers to hunger-relief organizations,” said Executive Constantine. “This will be a vital community asset that strengthens the local food economy, making access to healthy, homegrown food more equitable. I want to thank Sen. Murray for her support in securing this federal investment to get the project over the finish line.”

“This facility has the opportunity to positively impact folks who are experiencing hunger and food insecurity,” said Linda Nageotte, Food Lifeline President and CEO. “It’s getting them access to locally grown, fresh produce, helping community organizations that are working to serve their needs, and ensuring they have access to the beautiful fruits of our local farm economy, building a brighter and more healthful future for all of us."

Farmers and hunger relief organizations currently meet in parking lots, lacking cold storage for perishable goods and a covered location where staff and volunteers can box and prepare food for distribution. Modest Family Solutions – a nonprofit that grows, collects, and distributes 250,000 pounds of free food each month in King and Snohomish counties – is one of the community-based organizations that will benefit from the South Seattle Community Food Hub.

"Having this food hub will provide a sense of stability,” said Adasha Turner, founder of Modest Family Solutions. “We can go out and we can harvest more food knowing that we have a place for it to go. It gives us more time to slow down and reach the communities that really need the help. Right now, it's first come, first serve."

Sen. Murray included $4 million for the project in the American Rescue Plan Act after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp increase in food insecurity and highlighted the need for infrastructure that connects BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee farmers to community-based hunger relief organizations.

“Our local food banks are a lifeline for families across Washington state, so it’s really important we do our part at the federal level to support them and help ensure people don’t go hungry,” said Sen. Murray. “No one should have to worry about how they’re going to get their next meal, so I’m really glad I was able to secure federal funding for the South Seattle Community Food Hub to support kids and families across King County. This is tremendous progress in our continued fight against food insecurity, and I’m committed to delivering more investments like this one to tackle our nation’s hunger crisis.”

A COVID-19 recovery package developed by Executive Constantine and approved by the King County Council provided an additional $1 million to help start the project.

“The lack of a centralized food hub has hampered hunger relief operations for years, particularly as more people and families began experiencing hunger during the pandemic,” said King County Councilmember Joe McDermott. “This project supports an increase in the availability of fresh, culturally relevant produce for community members across the region, while supporting the economic development of the local food system.”

The total project is expected to cost about $8 million. The first phase includes predevelopment and construction for 12,000 feet of cold storage, warehouse space, offices, and restrooms. The second phase will install a commercial kitchen and a space for processing and shipping. Partners will begin transforming the warehouse in the spring and anticipate operations to begin in 2024.

“The South Seattle Community Food Hub really is a community asset,” said Michael Lufkin, King County Local Food Economy Manager. “The primary objective is that it be run and operated by community-based organizations. So, this is their facility. It will essentially belong to the community and serve the community.”

The partnership contributes to King County’s Local Food Initiative that Executive Constantine launched in 2014 to strengthen the local food economy and make access to healthy food more equitable.

Relevant links

• VIDEO: Captions: New community food hub to connect farmers and hunger relief organizations
• VIDEO: B-roll footage available to download
• King County Local Food Initiative

Quotes

The food hub we’re creating with partners will provide the space and equipment needed to better connect local farmers to hunger-relief organizations. This will be a vital community asset that strengthens the local food economy, making access to healthy, homegrown food more equitable. I want to thank Sen. Murray for her support in securing this federal investment to get the project over the finish line.

Our local food banks are a lifeline for families across Washington state, so it’s really important we do our part at the federal level to support them and help ensure people don’t go hungry. No one should have to worry about how they’re going to get their next meal, so I’m really glad I was able to secure federal funding for the South Seattle Community Food Hub to support kids and families across King County. This is tremendous progress in our continued fight against food insecurity, and I’m committed to delivering more investments like this one to tackle our nation’s hunger crisis.

The lack of a centralized food hub has hampered hunger relief operations for years, particularly as more people and families began experiencing hunger during the pandemic. This project supports an increase in the availability of fresh, culturally relevant produce for community members across the region, while supporting the economic development of the local food system.

This facility has the opportunity to positively impact folks who are experiencing hunger and food insecurity. It’s getting them access to locally grown, fresh produce, helping community organizations that are working to serve their needs, and ensuring they have access to the beautiful fruits of our local farm economy, building a brighter and more healthful future for all of us.

Having this food hub will provide a sense of stability. We can go out and we can harvest more food knowing that we have a place for it to go. It gives us more time to slow down and reach the communities that really need the help. Right now, it's first come, first serve.

The South Seattle Community Food Hub really is a community asset. The primary objective is that it be run and operated by community-based organizations. So, this is their facility. It will essentially belong to the community and serve the community.

For more information, contact:

Doug Williams, Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 206-477-4543