Emergency food access resources
Link/share this page: www.kingcounty.gov/covid/emergency-food
This page contains information about food access programs and services to help support King County residents during this difficult time. We will continue updating this page as more resources develop. Please continue to look out for one another and check-in with your neighbors during this challenging time.
- Map displaying locations of free public food resources in King County, updated weekly by Public Health - Seattle & King County and City of Seattle including "Grab and Go" student meal sites in King County.
All children up to 18 years of age are eligible to receive a free packed breakfast/lunch meal at the sites listed. Children do not need to be enrolled in that school district to receive meals, but they do need to be present. Meals are "grab and go"—Students will not stay onsite to eat.
- Food Support Resources for Seattle and King County: list of available food resources on the Mayor of Seattle website.
- Expedited Basic Food Program (SNAP): U.S. citizens, legal immigrants and the U.S. citizen children of non-citizens may be eligible if they are a Washington State resident and meet citizenship and income requirements. With SNAP you can buy fresh food and vegetables, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages and dairy products with the use of an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.
- Apply for SNAP online OR call the Community Health Access Program (CHAP) at 1-800-756-5437.
- Purchase food on Amazon using SNAP
- Washington 211: Free meals and food pantries information, call 211.
- CARES Act Food Security Assistance Program Grant Awardees
Public Health – Seattle & King County received $4.83 million through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) to support food security efforts in King County in response to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is intended to support Black and Indigenous communities, Communities of Color, low-income communities, Immigrant and Refugee Communities, and communities that have been unable to access other forms of government aid due to structural or institutional barriers, including fear of deportation or those experiencing gender-based violence in King County (outside of Seattle). Learn more about the grant awardees and their work.
- Community Living Connections: Home-delivered meals (e.g. Meals on Wheels) for individuals age 60+ who are unable to leave their homes, call 1-844-348-5464 (toll-free).
- Mutual Aid Solidarity Network offering grocery drop-offs at front doors, prioritizing persons who are sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, queer, Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color. Request form on website.
- Support Seattle Small Business Restaurant Delivery and Take-Out Map: find restaurants providing delivery or take-out in your neighborhood.
- Purchase food on Amazon using SNAP: If you have an EBT card, you can use it to buy food on Amazon and have it delivered.
- Seattle Community Kitchen Collective: List of South Seattle restaurants offering free food delivery and pick up for community members. Beacon Hill restaurant Musang posts the community kitchen schedule at the beginning of each week.
- Pacific Coast Harvest local produce and grocery delivery.
- Emergency Feeding Program
425-277-0300
- General public:
Drive-thru for our pre-packed bag filled with your basic essentials. Each bag has bread, produce, pasta, dairy, and meat. No sign-up required. Serving all zip codes.
- Hours: Tuesdays, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Location: Rainier Beach High School (8815 Seward Park Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118)
- Hours: Tuesdays, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Social services agencies:
Social workers, agencies, organizations, and school officials are welcome to come to our warehouse to receive various food items for their clients. Because of our changing food supply, each week will be different food options. If you would like to be added to our email distribution list, please email Manami Imaoka mimaoka@emergencyfeeding.org
- Hours: Fridays, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
- Location: Emergency Feeding Program (851 Houser Way N., Suite A, Renton, WA 98057)
- Hours: Fridays, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Food Lifeline partners offer food banks and meal programs.
- General public:
- Northwest Harvest partners offer food banks and meal programs.
- Northwest Harvest SODO Community Market is offering pre-bagged produce, prepared foods, and shelf-stable groceries right at the door. There is no need to enter the facility and is open to anyone of ANY AGE.
- Sno-Valley Food Bank and Emergency Services Offers pre-packaged food box for pick up for those who eligible. Call (425) 333-4163 to ask about eligibility requirements or visit the website to learn more.
- South King County Food Coalition members offer food banks.
- Washington Food Coalition is tracking food bank closures.
- Expediated Basic Food Program (SNAP): May be eligible to apply for their Basic Food benefit application to be processed immediately.
- Apply for SNAP online OR call CHAP at 1-800-756-5437.
- Community Living Connections: Home-delivered meals (e.g. Meals on Wheels) for individuals age 60+ who are unable to leave their homes, call 1-844-348-5464 (toll-free).
- Mutual Aid Solidarity Network offering grocery drop-offs at front doors, prioritizing persons who are sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, queer, Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color. Request form on website.
- Senior Shopping Hours: Seattle area grocery stores have established special shopping hours reserved for seniors and those with compromised immune systems. Visit these two trackers for details: national retails hours and west Seattle supermakets.
- Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
WIC is a supplemental food program for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, infants and children. WIC also provides health screening, nutrition and health education, breastfeeding promotion and support, help getting other services and monthly benefits for nutritious foods.- Health screening
- Nutrition and health education
- Breastfeeding promotion and support
- Help getting other services
- Monthly benefits pay for nutritious foods
- Grab and Go Meal Sites in King County: Many schools are offering free meals to children during school closure. Adults with disabilities who are enrolled in education programs may also qualify. Check our Grab and Go webpage to find a meal service location at a school district near you. Children do not need to be enrolled in the district to obtain a meal but they need to be present.
- United Way Free Meals for Kids and Teens grab and go meals.
- FEEST Seattle Free Groceries: Families with students at Chief Sealth, Evergreen, Rainier Beach, and Tyee High Schools can request FREE groceries delivery.
- FEEST Seattle and WA-BLOC Food Support for the Rainier Beach Community: providing free hot lunch for students in the Rainier Beach Community every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
- Expedited Basic Food Program (SNAP): May be eligible to apply for their Basic Food benefit application to be processed immediately.
- Apply for SNAP online OR call CHAP at 1-800-756-5437.
- Food pick-up resources above
- Basic Food Program (SNAP): Although non-citizens adults are not eligible for SNAPs, their US children may be eligible. Parents can apply for SNAP online OR call CHAP at 1-800-756-5437.
- Many food banks do not require identification or proof of citizenship. See food pick-up and delivery resources above.
- Washington State is working to ensure that food security systems remain in place to meet the nutritional needs of everyone including children, seniors and people with low income.
- The federal Dept. of Food and Nutrition Service has also lifted many restrictions that may have disqualified some applicants from receiving food benefits in the past.