As food insecurity rises and aid dwindles, Dunn announces $105,000 in funding for Enumclaw, Covington, Maple Valley food banks

December 5, 2023

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn announced Tuesday that he secured a total of $105,000 for food banks serving District 9 in the King County Council’s mid-biennial budget. With this funding, King County will allocate $20,000 each to the Maple Valley Food Bank, Covington Storehouse, Issaquah Community Food Bank, and Plateau Ministries Outreach.  An additional total of $25,000 was allocated by Dunn for these food banks for their rental assistance programs.

“Sadly, food banks everywhere are struggling to keep up with the sharp increase in the number of hungry people who need help putting food on the table,” Dunn said. “One food bank in my district reported that the number of households they serve is on track to double from 2020. As COVID-era food security aid ends and the need in the community remains high, this additional aid from King County will go far to feed hungry people.”

As COVID-related assistance ends and food costs rise due to inflation, more people are seeking food assistance and fewer are donating food. The Department of Agriculture recently reported that 12.8% of American households reported being food insecure in 2022—up from 10.2% in 2021 and 10.5% in 2020. Feeding America reports that the food insecurity rate in rural areas is 16.4%, compared to 12.9% in urban areas, showing that low-income people in rural areas experience disproportionate levels of food insecurity compared to urban communities. This is due to many factors—a lack of transportation options, fewer jobs that pay well, and less access to aid organizations compared to urban areas. In addition, many rural areas are considered food deserts because they lack access to stores that sell food. Out of the 99 food banks in King County, there are only three that are accessible to rural residents in District 9.

Yet, despite the disproportionate need of—and lack of aid for—low-income people living in rural areas, a recent King County report on food insecurity initiated by Dunn found that food banks in South and Southeast King County receive less food per person in need. These food banks can only offer two-thirds the amount of food per person with an income below 200% of the federal poverty threshold compared to food banks that serve Seattle.

This funding for food banks in District 9 is a part of the final allocation of federal emergency Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery funds.