Seahawk Super Bowl champs join food bank staff in appeal for more volunteers

With food banks across the state facing a critical shortage of volunteers, the Seattle Seahawks, Northwest Harvest, Safeway and the Washington Food Coalition have teamed up to kick off a new campaign aimed at swelling the volunteer ranks. Called Back to Action, the organizers hope to attract 3,000 additional food bank volunteers statewide by Dec….

Snohomish County seeking applicants for $2 million in affordable housing projects

Snohomish County is encouraging nonprofit organizations, for-profit developers and government agencies to submit applications to develop affordable rental housing; expand homeownership development; and/or pursue new shelter projects. An estimated $1.2 million in federal funds under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program is anticipated to be available for the 2024 program year, and an estimated $833,379 under…

How Washington is treating housing as health care

Washington is trying something new when it comes to housing: treating it as health care. Apple Health and Homes is a multi-agency state program launched last year that focuses on providing housing to people with health and behavioral health challenges. What’s unique is that the program taps Medicaid dollars to pay for housing subsidies, tenant…

DelBene presents $250K to Homage Transportation Assistance Program aimed at helping county’s seniors

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene delivered a $250,000 ceremonial check Monday for Homage’s new Transportation Assistance Program, which is designed to improve transit for Snohomish County’s seniors and those with disabilities. DelBene, the representative for Washington’s 1st Congressional District, visited Lynnwood-based Homage to present the check to Homage CEO Keith Bell. With Bell were Homage’s senior director…

28 Snohomish County CASA volunteers to receive President’s Volunteer Service Award

A total of 28 Snohomish County Office of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) for their advocacy work in 2022. The Office of the CASA is a volunteer-powered agency that relies on the generosity of individuals to step forward and help our community’s most vulnerable population,…

State: IT upgrades to impact public benefits eligibility systems starting Aug. 11

In just a few days, one of Washington State’s public benefits eligibility systems will undergo a critical IT upgrade that will impact the primary portals Washingtonians use to apply for public benefits like food, cash assistance and health coverage. The upgrade of the Automated Client Eligibility System (ACES) will begin after 5 p.m. Friday, Aug….

Meals on Wheels for local seniors faces $50K deficit after pandemic relief ends

A $50,000 cut in federal funding for its Meals on Wheels program has left Lynnwood-based Homage Senior Services scrambling to continue feeding local seniors in need. Homage received notification June 23 that its funding for Medicaid Meals on Wheels recipients was being cut by 20% — due to the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency….

Food Lifeline, Step by Step among local agencies receiving health care grants

Six Washington state nonprofits focused on expanding access to care for underserved communities have received $1 million in grants from UnitedHealthcare. The donations include a $300,000 grant to Food Lifeline, which works with Snohomish County food banks including those in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace. UnitedHealthcare also made a grant of $100,000 to Step By…

Edmonds Food Bank, Historical Museum partner to bring SNAP to Edmonds Summer Market

After years of frustration and confusion, the Edmonds Historical Museum and the Edmonds Food Bank have cut through the red tape surrounding use of federal nutrition assistance benefits at the museum-sponsored summer market. Many market vendors have long accepted vouchers issued by the Washington State Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and the Women Infants…

Hazel Miller Foundation announces second round of 2023 grant awards

The Hazel Miller Foundation Board awarded more than $150,000 to a diverse range of organizations in May, including the Edmonds Food Bank, Clothes for Kids, Art for All and the Washington West Africa Center. The funds were intentionally distributed across the foundation’s core focus areas: education and youth; poverty alleviation and hunger; civil and community…

Congressman Rick Larsen takes a school food pantry tour

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen came to Edmonds Friday to learn about the Foundation for Edmonds School District’s Nourishing Network food pantry. Joining Larsen, who represents the 2nd District, for the tour were Foundation Executive Director Deborah Brandi, Nourishing Network Program Director Thame Fuller and Mountlake Terrace City Councilmember Steve Woodard. The Nourishing Network pantry provides…

Asian Service Center celebrates with inaugural ceremony

More than 300 people gathered Saturday at the Edmonds Waterfront Center to celebrate the official launch of the Edmonds-based Asian Service Center (ASC). ASC’s vision and mission stress the importance of service to those in need: “We believe all members of our community have the potential to flourish and achieve success in the United States,…

Edmonds Food Bank offers bikes, books and berries

Edmonds Food Bank customers received gifts of bikes, books and berries during an event at Edmonds Presbyterian Church Saturday. According to Food Bank Executive Director Casey Davis, the effort reflects the food bank’s focus on three challenges their customers face: Lack of exercise, inability to access to reading materials and poor nutrition. Approximately 150 bikes…

Verdant Health Commission offering grant technical assistance June 8, 13

The Verdant Health Commission will offer technical assistance/office hours on June 8 and 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for any nonprofit organizations that need technical assistance with submitting an online application for funding. Office space and a computer will be available for use.  Community members are encouraged to sign up for a time…

Everett shelter run by Hand Up Project got $3M in COVID relief despite complaints

Editor’s note: The following story was republished with permission from Crosscut.com. The smell hit Rena Keckler first as she entered the Everett hotel room where her ex-husband, Forest Fraser, had died a few days earlier. Uneaten food had spoiled inside the broken refrigerator. Unwashed laundry lay piled on one of the two beds. Keckler said…

Volunteers of America Western Washington appoints Brian Smith as president and CEO

After serving as interim chief executive officer since November 2022, Brian Smith has been appointed president and CEO of human services nonprofit Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW). Smith joined VOAWW in 2014 as a front-line behavior specialist, moved to senior director of disability services, then progressed to chief operating officer before assuming the vacant…

U.S. Postal Service, letter carriers to host Stamp Out Hunger drive May 13

With the help of sponsors, volunteer organizations and Postal Service employees in 10,000 communities nationwide, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will conduct its 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 13.   Stamp Out Hunger has become the nation’s largest one-day campaign to collect food for distribution to families in need. In 2021 the pandemic caused…

Pathways for Women shelter seeks donations of linens, other items

YWCA Pathways for Women shelter in Lynnwood needs gently used linens, especially twin/full sheets and mattress covers, new pillows, towels and rugs. Also especially needed are items such as hair combs/brushes, full size bottles of shampoo/conditioner/body wash along with brooms, mops and laundry detergent. These donations allow the shelter to direct more funds in direct…

State fruit, vegetable incentives program receives temporary funding to increase benefits

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants will receive additional support towards fruit and vegetable purchases, thanks to the passage of SHB 1784. The bill provides an additional $2 million for the Washington State Department of Health Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Program. Funding will increase the SNAP Produce Match benefit from $5 for every $10 spent…

Chinese seniors named Homage table tennis tournament champions

After four weeks of matchups, eight Snohomish County Chinese seniors are taking home titles and trophies earned at the Chinese Seniors Group Table Tennis Tournament recently held at Lynnwood-based Homage, the largest provider of services for older adults and people with disabilities in Snohomish County. Each Tuesday from March 21 through April 11, a group of…