You don’t have to look hard to find news that is unsettling. While news of budget cuts, gang violence and politics may be more attention-grabbing, there are a lot of great things happening in our communities too.

As I noted when the Teen Talk column made its debut, its purpose is to highlight the positive things that teens are doing to improve local neighborhoods, schools and the broader community. This article features Allan Quach, who has been volunteering his time at the Lynnwood Food Bank to fight food insecurity. Quach is making a difference one grocery bag at a time.

So, is there really a need?

Like the rest of Western Washington, it’s expensive to live in Snohomish County. Many people are working exceptionally hard and are still unable to cover the cost of food, shelter and transportation.

According to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Edmonds School District report card shows that “9,233 students at Edmonds School District were enrolled in October of the 2023-24 school year and identified as Low-Income using their most recent demographic record.”

Our food banks play an essential role in helping people in our community who are going through a really hard time. In part, because of the tremendous volunteer work supporting the food banks, they can continue to serve our friends and neighbors.

Snohomish County is fortunate to have many food banks offering relief to people who need it, including the following:

Edmonds Food Bank

Lynnwood Food Bank

Concern For Neighbors Food Bank in Mountlake Terrace

The Lynnwood Food Bank alone served nearly 152,000 individuals in 2023! Perhaps equally important is that their services extend beyond food distribution, offering nutritional education, job training opportunities and programs that promote health equity. In other words, it serves both short-term and longer-term needs.

Some food bank volunteers serve a few times. Others have worked in a volunteer capacity for many years. What they have in common is that they’ve all made a difference.

Allan Quach started volunteering at age 16 as part of a school service requirement at Edmonds-Woodway High School. “I had expected to just get my hours, then leave and move on with whatever else I wanted to do,” Quach said. Almost four years later, and now a student at the University of Washington, Quach is still happily serving — not for school credits but because he wants to. To put that into perspective, Quach has been joyfully volunteering at the Lynnwood Food Bank for 20% of his life!

“Teen volunteers play a vital role in the Lynnwood Food Bank’s success, bringing energy, dedication and a fresh perspective to its operations,” said Lynnwood Food Bank Executive Director Alissa Jones. “From assisting with food distribution to sorting donations and interacting with customers, teens contribute significantly to the food bank’s daily activities. Their involvement not only helps sustain the food bank’s operations but also fosters a sense of responsibility, community service and leadership in the next generation.”

What’s neat about the Lynnwood Food Bank, as is true with the other food banks listed, is that culturally appropriate food is provided to families who may appreciate it. The Lynnwood Food Bank supports a diverse community, with approximately 30% of Lynnwood residents born outside the U.S.  Jones notes that the food bank programs “emphasize cultural inclusivity by providing culturally relevant foods, nutrition education, and services designed to lower health disparities.” And the volunteers supporting the food bank also reflect the diversity.

 “It’s a place where every time I volunteer, I come out of that day a slightly better person through engaging in an altruistic activity that does serve a greater good and helps many people.” Quach said “Once I started to not look at I as just ‘doing my time’ but instead looked at it as an experience to help enrich my own character, I’ve had nothing but fun volunteering at the Lynwood Food Bank.”

If you are inspired to volunteer in this way, please connect directly with one of the local food banks.

Amelie LaPorte-Manahan is grateful to live in Edmonds. She is a sophomore at Seattle Prep High School where she is a part of the journalism club and Black Student Union. Amelie also plays varsity basketball and softball.