History of South King County Food Coalition

The South King County Food Coalition was founded in 1983 to support its member agencies to help them provide nutritionally balanced food to people in need. The Coalition consists of 13 food banks throughout South King County.

The South King County Food Coalition (SKCFC) currently seeks to strengthen the efforts of its member agencies by enhancing the local food security network. This unified web is built on a platform of engagement with:

●       faith based organizations

●       non-profits, social service providers

●       local businesses

●       service organizations

●       individual community members

 

SKCFC works with the AmeriCorps VISTA program and Rotary First Harvest to supplement the efforts of staff and volunteers through:

●       Nutrition education in food banks

●       Field trip programs and volunteer opportunities

●       Land conservation and management

●       Grant research and assistance

 

These efforts help SKCFC increase their visibility in the community while increasing the amount of nutritious produce distributed by the twelve food banks in the Coalition. In 2016-2017 fiscal year, the Coalition served 12 million pounds of food to an average of 14,200 different families per month along with providing nutrition education for their food bank clients. Each food bank in the coalition maintains independence in their day to day operations but are able to lift each other up by developing adoptable standards and sharing best practices. Coalitions are often the starting point for collaborative projects, as seen in SKCFC’s Elk Run Farm where the need for fresh and local produce in the coalition’s food banks drove the creation of an organic farm.

 

SKCFC’s member food banks:

   

 

The Auburn Food Bank

The Des Moines Area Food Bank

Emergency Feeding Program

Enumclaw Food Bank

Highline Area Food Bank

The Kent Food Bank & Emergency Services

Maple Valley Food Bank & Emergency Services

 

Federal Way Food Bank & Multi Service Center

Plateau Outreach Ministries

The Salvation Army Food Bank - Renton

Tukwila Pantry

Vashon Food Bank

White Center Food Bank


 

 


Elk Run Farm is a partnership between the 12 food banks of the South King County Food CoalitionSeattle-King County Public HealthWSU ExtensionHighline College and Auburn Mt. View High School that addresses inequitable access to healthy foods for low-income families while promoting sustainable urban agriculture and new markets for local produce.  Produce grown at Elk Run Farm, a former golf course, is distributed through South King County food banks to those in the community who can least afford it and live in areas where access to healthy food is limited.

Besides growing good food, Elk Run Farm strives to include the populations it services in positive health outcomes through education and outreach. Partnering with local schools in Maple Valley, Kent, Auburn, and other communities, Elk Run Farm will directly address barriers to education, health, and success in the local youth community through onsite programming. By developing a farm that brings underutilized land into production and engaging at-risk youth in agriculture, Elk Run Farm will increase access to healthy food among limited-income populations.

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