In honor of Hunger Action Month, on September 26, 2024 State Sen. Javier Valdez, the United Way of King County (UWKC), North Helpline, and DoorDash’s Project DASH celebrated a milestone of nearly 750,000 deliveries via Project DASH to people experiencing food insecurity across the Seattle, WA area.

The event took place at North Helpline’s warehouse located in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle and featured community members, staff, and local officials and lawmakers. 

“Requests for food assistance was a top need in the state of Washington and across the nation last year according to 211, the nation’s go-to lifeline for social services support,” said North Helpline Executive Director Kelly Brown.

“Since 2020 North Helpline joined United Way of King County and DoorDash’s Project DASH to broaden food access for vulnerable families and individuals through last-mile delivery. Together, we are pioneering new ways to grow equity in access to food and services through partnerships like this. This partnership is one of the ways to assist with an ever-growing need.” 

Being able to deliver food to folks who are homebound or unable to make it to the food distribution hours at Lake City and Bitter lake food bank is an equity issue. We are serving 50% more people now than at the height of the pandemic, the growth of the demand for our services is not slowing down. 

“Our partnership with North Helpline is nearly five years strong,” said Sara Seelmeyer, Associate Director of Ending Hunger, United Way of King County.

“What we hear most often is that once delivery of food pantry boxes is made available, there are more families in need than we know simply because they don’t have access to the food bank due to barriers like transportation or their work schedule. This collaboration is one key step to end hunger by incorporating innovation through DoorDash’s app and access to their Dashers. It’s exciting to see this model’s success and to know it can be, and is being, replicated across Washington and the nation to meet the needs of our most vulnerable.”

DoorDash, through its Project DASH initiative, powers delivery on behalf of food banks and pantries, community action agencies, and other social impact organizations. Local delivery reduces stigma and breaks down barriers to access for seniors, people experiencing disabilities, and people facing other challenges.

“As part of our ongoing work to broaden food access, DoorDash is proud to partner with the United Way of King County and North Helpline as part of our partnership with United Way Worldwide,” said Anna Powell, DoorDash Government Relations - Northwest.

“With over 100 million meals delivered via Project DASH, it's evident that local delivery helps ensure that food banks and food pantries can help people have access to the food and essential items they need in a dignified and convenient way. We’re excited to join together with all stakeholders to help ensure this work alongside our partners across the country helps meet the need.”

From corporations like DoorDash, other community organizations like UWKC, to volunteers and donors, we come together to make it possible to provide culturally familiar foods and meet dietary needs with each home delivery grocery box. 

Click below to learn more and volunteer as a driver for our Home Delivery program

ABOUT UNITED WAY WORLDWIDE

United Way mobilizes communities to action so all can thrive. True to our founding spirit, whenever there is a need in our communities, United Way is there. We bring a comprehensive approach to every challenge, actively listening and responding to local needs. Our reach across tens of thousands of communities means we can share innovations and scale impact to improve lives around the world.  From strengthening local resilience to advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security, we’re working towards a future where every person in every community can reach their full potential. To learn more, visit www.unitedway.org

ABOUT PROJECT DASH

Project DASH partners with food banks, food pantries, and social impact organizations to work with Dashers and use DoorDash technology to provide local delivery to their communities in a way that emphasizes convenience and dignity. Since its inception, Project DASH has completed more than 6 million deliveries, representing more than 100 million meals to families across the nation.

What it means to break the cycle of generational poverty.

Lessons from our staff member, Jenn EagleSpeaker.

"I have found myself a single parent. Not something I ever planned on being, but it happens.

As a single mom, my finances are limited, and at times have been nonexistent.

When the pandemic struck and my kids got COVID, I panicked.

I walked into the store and made my purchases of things you get for a sick kid, 7-up, popsicles, chicken soup, and a thermometer…

It may seem a funny little thing that most parents have, no big deal. But it was a privilege for me. A thermometer was a luxury item.

I looked down at the care package I had been able to put together for my son and thought, ‘Wow, look what I can do.’
I held back tears as I made my way back to the car, the car that I was able to purchase with a living wage at North Helpline.

I was looking in the face of generational poverty and saying, ‘No, not today.'"

No child should go hungry.
We can make sure they don’t.

If you weren’t able to attend, or want to revisit this magical night, our key moments video is for you!

Recap Video Timestamps

Staff Words on Impact

54:06 – Louren – Words on Homelessness Prevention program.

55:54 - Jenn – Words on wage equity.

1:00:41 – Claire – Words on Home Grocery Delivery program.

1:02:36 – Kelly – Words on Community Connector program.

1:04:41 – Esther – Words on translation / interpretation services.

1:08:24 – Johnny – Words on culturally relevant foods.

Closing Remarks

1:09:51 – Kelly Brown, Executive Director

Land Acknowledgement

0:10 – Jenn EagleSpeaker (staff)

Board Welcome

2:07 – Emily Billow (board)

Executive Director Welcome & North Star Partner Award

8:44 - Kelly Brown, Executive Director

Keynote Speakers

14:19 – Michelle McDaniel’s Talk: Wage Equity Study & Social Work Legitimacy

40:24 – Oliver Frost’s Talk: Personal Story – Growing up Food Insecure

We agree. It’s tough to afford even the basics in our city, even when working full-time.

“How is it that with only a 3% jobless rate in Seattle — and nationally “a historically strong labor market with low unemployment,” says The Times — there’s also a rush on the food banks?”

Simply put, things are too expensive, and jobs are paying too little for the majority of families to be secure living in our community.

The majority of neighbors that visit North Helpline for food or rent support are working, but it is not enough to make ends meet.

Sadly, it’s only getting harder out there. Food banks across the city are seeing overwhelming increases in the folks visiting them.

“…the top 20% of households now make an astonishing average of $400,000 a year.”

Meanwhile, 20% of Seattle families make less than before the pandemic, at just $18,000 a year.

And what about the folks that are retired or unable to work? Over 50% of folks that visit our Bitter Lake location are over the age of 55.

Many elders in our community share with us their concerns about having to move away from the city they’ve lived in just to afford a home.

Access to food and housing has decreased for most families since the pandemic began. Prices continue to rise, and families make less. The temporary boost to federal food programs during covid has ended all at once, leaving many neighbors without options.

We know that solving these issues takes time.

Hope remains, for there are things that we can do right now to make things better for local families while we work together on the longer solution.

We can keep food on the table and a roof overhead of our neighbors by supporting local direct-service organizations like North Helpline.

For the past 34 years we have served our community, and until a trip to the grocery store is no longer a luxury, we will continue to.

Let’s come together as a community and say that every family will have access to food and shelter.

·     So that children will be nourished and energized for a day at school.

·     So families can stay together, warm and in their homes.

·     So that we can stay strong and resilient as a community, ready to tackle other challenges with one another.

You can be the difference in our community.
Consider a donation to North Helpline.

“North Helpline has been a complete game changer for my family.”

Both I and my partner are disabled and rely entirely upon my income, which is not much as I am unable to work much due to my disability. The food bank has been a necessity. Even still, being disabled trying to get there and carry things back is incredibly difficult, and often leads to us just not having food around. This is why we signed up for North Helpline’s Grocery Delivery program.

I found out about North Helpline through my Facebook neighborhood “Buy Nothing” group, as someone else was asking about resources and someone shared about North Helpline. I immediately signed up. I expected something like this to have a long wait time, especially with so many people in need in Seattle, but it was only a week before I heard back and was told I was accepted.

Now we have a consistent, reliable source of food every other week. It’s been such an incredible relief.

I’ve emailed North Helpline a couple of times to change up what comes in my grocery delivery box, and they have always been incredibly kind and helpful.

Often you end up feeling pitied or looked down upon, and that’s never been the case with North Helpline. They’re kind and respectful and very positive.

I grew up in a poor household and was homeless during my childhood. I wish I had known about services like North Helpline sooner.

In the last year, my health has been declining, and my doctors struggle to treat me. Because of that I am unable to work consistently and have been looking into ways to make ends meet. Having food delivered to me for free, consistently, is such a huge relief.

It’s hard to convey the feeling of knowing you will be able to eat.

We also have a cat, named Stellaluna, and the people at North Helpline were able to include cat food in my grocery delivery box when they have it available. It was incredibly easy - they responded quickly, were able to make the change very fast, and were super helpful.

My family is incredibly thankful to North Helpline for helping us have reliable access to food.

Years ago, Mary came to North Helpline’s food banks to supplement their grocery budget. In the spring of 2021, she reconnected with us through the 211 hotline.

After contacting our Homelessness Prevention department, where we provide financial assistance for rent, utilities, and moving costs, Mary was able to stay in her home.

“I was able to pay rent at a time when I had no income due to being on medical leave as a result of head trauma. I was on FMLA at the time, but it took a few months for the medical leave insurance through the state to kick in and I had very little financial resources to keep afloat as I awaited those funds,” she said.

“North Helpline allowed me to stay in my house without fear of getting behind on rent and possibly losing my housing.”

Stories like Mary’s are why we know it is so important to provide our wrap-around care model, where we work to meet folks wherever they may be. Rarely are the obstacles of food and housing insecurity simple.

“In the past, I dealt with food insecurity due to poverty. I am permanently disabled and for much of my adulthood have had very little income. The food bank helped me ensure I was still able to eat,” said Mary.

For Mary and many others, providing food was only one step in their journey with North Helpline.

“In 2019 I was able to return to work full-time for the first time in over a decade. Although I no longer suffer from food insecurity, I still live paycheck to paycheck and the months when I did not have income were devastating on top of navigating through a serious head injury. I was able to pay rent on time and stay in my place due to the help I received from North Helpline,” she told us.

Mary’s story is not uncommon. It is why we work tirelessly to ensure that the barriers to accessing food and housing are as low as possible. We approach this work through our centering of Trust, Belonging, Dignity, and Equity.

“Being able to stay off the street, stay living in your community, keep yourself fed, and remain mostly self-reliant reflect these values and were realized for me on a personal level,” Mary said when asked about how our values showed up in her story.

Mary enjoys spending time outdoors, with family, friends, and of course her pet cat.

The Fortune Family first connected with North Helpline about a year ago after hearing about our Grocery Delivery program through other families in their community.

We’re able to provide families with a bi-weekly delivery of food essentials while tailoring our deliveries to meet the dietary needs of each family.

“Having the extra food from the food bank, especially the fruits and vegetables, helps keep our diabetes and hypertension under control,” says The Fortune Family.

Our Grocery Delivery program connects 240 families, like The Fortunes, with supplemental food each month to help counter the rising cost of groceries. For folks that cannot attend our in-person food banks, grocery delivery keeps food accessible in our community.

“My husband (66 years old), and I (60 years old), are both disabled due to health reasons. We have a disabled adult daughter and son who live with us,” they said.

Through partnering with North Helpline, The Fortune Family says they’ve been able to pay their rent, utilities, and phone bill on a fixed income.

When not enjoying a family meal, The Fortunes love music, baseball, and enjoying nature. 

Join us in welcoming Louren Reed as North Helpline’s new Food Access Director!

Louren’s life work embodies what it means to be here for the whole person, inspired by the notion that “food is in every part of us.” 

Your gift helps us keep families nourished and housed.

Coming to North Helpline from a large agency, Louren was motivated to work for a smaller nonprofit that serves a more localized area. When asked about what drew them to North Helpline, they stated that it was North Helpline’s wrap-around care model: 

“North Helpline isn’t just focusing on hunger or housing. We are working on addressing every need our neighbors have with dignity, connection to resources, and creating community.”

Louren comes to North Helpline with over 20 years of varied public service experience. They started their career teaching art in a diverse and low-income community in Texas. Louren noted, “My first experience witnessing food insecurity was in this role.” After teaching for 8 years, they shifted to mental health counseling in Mississippi working with teenagers facing behavioral health issues. 

After moving to Washington State in 2015 and evaluating their next steps, Louren engaged in food access work by doing home grocery deliveries. A pivotal moment for them was delivering food in an area where they lived:

“A little girl opened the door to receive a delivery and was so excited to receive the food in the box. It showed me how close hunger is to all of us where we may not see it.”

Now, Louren begins their work as the Food Access Director for North Helpline. “In this role, I like the fact that I can work to affect organizational change while hearing the doorbell ringing when food deliveries are being made.” It is the day-to-day operations complemented by the larger leadership tasks that excite Louren to serve in this role. 

When asked what excited her about Louren joining North Helpline, Kelly Brown, our Executive Director shared, “We are so grateful to have Louren’s leadership on our team. I am excited about their ability to foster belonging across our organization. They’ve already brought so much energy to our team.” 

Louren looks to enhance North Helpline’s food access program by making our food offerings more familiar and culturally relevant. Offering food that we know people will enjoy is one of Louren’s main motivators, “so they can be nourished to tackle other aspects of their life - to not only live but to thrive.” This notion aligns with North Helpline’s 4 core values of dignity, trust, belonging, and equity. 

“So many meaningful moments in our lives are centered around food, so it is on all of us to make accessing food easier for everyone in our community.”

- Louren, Food Access Director 

This summer, let’s work together with Louren to make North Helpline a true community hub.

• Where neighbors can access food that they will enjoy.

• Where families can receive assistance to stay in their homes.

• Where our community can not only live but thrive. 

Here For The Whole Person

A North Helpline Summer Campaign

Your gift can keep families nourished and in their homes.

Any size of gift makes a difference when we come together.

When neighbors come to North Helpline, our food access and homelessness prevention programs are just the beginning.

Stop by our Lake City or Bitter Lake service sites, and you will find staff and volunteers happy to connect your family with fresh food to stretch your budget, information on our rent and utility assistance, and access to community partners like the Seattle Indian Health Board’s new health clinic.

By providing all our resources in one space, one trip to North Helpline can accomplish more for everyone who visits. 

For the resources we don’t yet offer, our Community Connectors offer referral services, making your trip go that much further. 

At North Helpline, our wrap-around care model means we can show up for families and meet them where they are.

The realities of food and housing insecurity are complex, impacting many parts of our neighbors’ lives. Being here for the whole person means honoring these realities.

North Helpline has seen a 50% increase in families visiting our food banks since this time last year.

Our organization, and our neighbors, are grappling with the rising cost of necessities while essential programs are also being cut. It continues to be increasingly difficult for our neighbors to obtain healthy food and housing for their families.

This summer, we must be certain in a time of uncertainty. 
With your support, we can reach the future we know is possible.

Let’s grow with this challenge together, and be here for the whole community.

Where we foster belonging and celebrate the diversity among us.
Where neighbors can feel heard, safe, and hopeful.

Together we can: 

• Sustain our essential programs, taking a stance against the rising cost of necessities like food and housing. 

• Enhance partnerships in our community, to serve the whole person.

• Strive to reach the full potential of our values, Trust, Equity, Dignity, & Belonging, by continuing to learn and improve upon our essential services.

Your gift can keep families nourished and in their homes.

Any size of gift makes a difference when we come together.

More To Come This Summer! We will…

• Welcome our new Food Access Director, Louren, whose personal and professional experience embodies what it means to be here for the whole person.

• Share the authentic stories of neighbors impacted by North Helpline’s mission.

• Discuss our values, trust, dignity, equity, and belonging, and how we center them in our programs.