Q & A with Food Lifeline explains impacts of cuts to local foodbanks
Q & A with Food Lifeline explains impacts of cuts to local foodbanks
Mon, 03/24/2025
Both Washington State and the Trump Administration are making cuts to food banks which will affect thousands here locally. Westside Seattle asked Mark Coleman with Food Lifeline to respond to some questions about those impacts.
Food Lifeline is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger in Western Washington. They work to provide nutritious food to people in need today while also addressing the root causes of hunger to create long-term solutions. Food Lifeline partners with food banks, meal programs, and shelters to distribute food and advocate for policies that combat food insecurity. Food Lifeline is responsible for repackaging and delivering food to 275 different organizations that distribute meals to the Western Washington population. Out of all the food distributed to these different organizations, 30% of the meals end up coming directly from Food Lifeline alone. Food Lifeline is part of a nationwide non-profit called Feeding America and assists in collecting food that would otherwise go to waste.
You can learn more about their mission and initiatives on their official website HERE.
Q - Governor Bob Ferguson proposed a $52 million cut to food banks as part of broader efforts to address Washington State's $15 billion budget deficit. He emphasized that the state had been spending at elevated levels due to federal pandemic funds, which are no longer available. While the state will still allocate $82 million to food assistance—significantly more than pre-pandemic levels—Ferguson argued that it’s not feasible to fully replace the lost federal funding. He suggested that faith based efforts might help make up the shortfall. How realistic are his suggestions? What else can be done?
A - Food banking is the last line of defense when state and federal funding fails to meet our community's food needs. Most of Food Lifeline’s donations are from the private and foundation sectors. However, food insecurity is outpacing new donations, making it difficult for Food Lifeline to keep up with the increased demand.
Q -The reasoning behind the $230 billion cut to SNAP, as part of Congress's budget plan, seems to be tied to broader fiscal goals. The plan aims to reduce overall government spending while extending tax cuts for wealthier households and businesses. Lawmakers supporting the cuts argue that stricter eligibility requirements and reduced benefits will encourage self-sufficiency among recipients. However, critics warn that these cuts could worsen food insecurity for millions of low-income Americans. From your perspective how is Food Lifeline involved with SNAP?
A- SNAP is the first line of defense against food insecurity. When SNAP funds are cut, families have to visit food banks much more often, which puts more pressure on the food banks and, ultimately, on Food Lifeline.
Q - The Seattle Times reports that Last year, visits to food banks rose 26% statewide, reaching 13.4 million visits, an increase from the 2014-2022 average of 8.2 million. How has this impacted Food Lifeline’s resources, supply chains and local foodbanks?
A- This has placed a lot of stress on us and our food bank partners. At first, the broken supply chain hampered our donation stream, but then it became an inflationary problem. When family dollars purchase less at the grocery store, they lean into our food bank partners. We also saw a sort of “uncovering” during the pandemic. We believe that thousands of families needed help before the pandemic, but didn’t know how to receive assistance. During the pandemic, they discovered the resources, and the need grew.
Q - The Times said that, "Sound Generations served over 620,000 meals last year, yet their Meals on Wheels program still had a six-month waitlist, leaving 600 seniors without the help they need.” What is the demographic impact of these cuts in our area?
A- Seniors appear to be one of our fastest-growing sectors of food insecurity, and this can be directly credited to inflation. Many of our seniors already relied on food banks to fill out their pantries, but now that reliance is growing.
Q - Are there any expanded efforts being made with retailers such as grocers, food manufacturers, farmers or importers?
A - The bulk of the foods that Food Lifeline distributes to our nearly 300 food bank partners come from wholesale and retail donations. These are farmers, manufacturers, and grocery stores. We are working diligently to build new relationships to grow the donation stream this year. Even today, 30% of the food produced in this country ends up in the landfill, so we know the food is out there. It’s just a matter of securing more of the surplus food that eventually goes to waste.
Q - Are there any specific brands that through public support will help make a difference?
A - Our major grocery chains are making a concerted effort to curb waste and increase donated foods. For example, Kroger Foods has created the Zero Hunger/Zero Waste initiative that is channeling more and more surplus foods to Food Lifeline and its partner food banks. It’s programs like this that are going to make a huge difference.
