FamilyWorks Raises $7m to Fight Food Insecurity

FamilyWorks, our neighborhood food bank and family resource center, recently shared exciting news with Wallyhood: a successful $7 million campaign that will more than double the number of families served in the coming years, while also highlighting the deepening crisis facing families in our community. The following update comes from Rehana Lanewala, FamilyWorks’ Director of Development and Communication:

 

Seattle-based nonprofit FamilyWorks has just raised $7 million through our Nourishing Communities Capital Campaign, ensuring that thousands of local families will continue to have access to fresh, healthy food and essential family-support resources. FamilyWorks’ campaign was fueled by everyday donors, volunteers, and local families, proving that when neighbors come together, we can create real, lasting change.

This community-powered achievement comes at a critical moment, as food banks across our region face increasing demand and diminishing resources, and as parents and families have fewer places to go for vital support. With social services and federal food assistance programs facing deep funding cuts, the end of pandemic-era benefits, and rising food and housing costs, FamilyWorks is seeing more neighbors than ever turning to us for help.

That’s why the success of this campaign is so significant to our city. The $7 million raised will allow FamilyWorks to expand and sustain critical services at a time when the need is surging and public funding is shrinking. Through the campaign, FamilyWorks has:

• Opened the new Family Resource Center at the Cedar Crossing affordable housing community, serving 20% more families
• Launched our innovative Online Grocery Market in January 2024
• Expanded our school-based resource centers from two to four public schools in January 2025
• Launched new alliances with affordable housing organizations to bring supportive services directly to families

And additional work is well underway:

• The renovation and expansion of the Wallingford Food Bank
• A second Mobile Food Pantry will hit the road this spring  for pop-up pantries across North Seattle
• Bringing family support programs to residents of a new affordable housing community in Ballard, which will open later this fall, in partnership with BRIDGE Housing and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

With these changes, FamilyWorks is on track to double the number of families served, from 5,000 in 2023 to 11,000 by 2027.

We’d love Wallyhood to cover this story and share with your readers how local people are stepping up to fill the gap. We can arrange:

• A visit to the Family Resource Center or Wallingford Food Bank
• An interview with Executive Director Marcia Wright-Soika and testimonials from families who rely on our services and donors who backed the campaign
• A ride-along in one of our mobile food pantries
• A hard-hat tour of the Wallingford Food Bank Remodel later this year
• Additional data and insights on the federal funding cuts and food insecurity in our region

This is a story about resilience, generosity, and the real impact of community-driven solutions to the urgent challenges facing families in our region, at a time when that story needs to be told.

FamilyWorks will also be opening registration this week for our 30th Birthday Block Party on Saturday, July 19th between 1-4pm at Wallingford Presbyterian Church. This will be a fun, family-friendly event in honor of our 30th anniversary, and we’d love for you to join us. Stay tuned for an email with more info!