Food banks are feeding working families and building community

Posted Thursday, March 5, 2026 9:00 am

By Carly B. Dykes

In church basements and community centers across Snohomish County, a network of compassion and community operates each week, serving hundreds of families who never imagined they would need help putting food on the table.

Customer-turned-volunteer Stacey Anasazi is no stranger to food insecurity. The former accountant developed long COVID that evolved into chronic fatigue syndrome, preventing her from working extended hours. When federal disability claims processing slowed dramatically due to staffing cuts, Anasazi found herself unable to work full-time without government support.

She turned to the Mill Creek Food Bank for help. When she was able to get back on her feet, she decided to pay it back. Anasazi now works on a team of volunteers from The Reserve – an apartment community in Mill Creek – that distributes food to 60-70 families weekly.

“I never had children, so part of my maternal instinct comes out in feeding people,” Anasazi said. “We all need food. It’s required to live. This is something moms would do, figuring out how to feed people so they get more than just one or two things they can eat.”

From Mill Creek and Mukilteo to Edmonds, food banks are experiencing unprecedented demand. Many clients aren’t from the stereotypical demographic you might think. They come from working families, recently laid-off professionals, and retirees struggling to make ends meet as inflation threatens household budgets. “The people in line are not homeless,” said Tom Sweeney, executive director at the Mill Creek Community Food Bank. “They are struggling, working families. I so often hear people say, ‘Well, what does Mill Creek need a food bank for? Everybody in Mill Creek is rich.’ Well, tell that to the 600 families that roll through in a week to get groceries from us.”

Kim Voetberg, a Mukilteo Food Bank board member, said it has seen its client numbers surge from 120 families in 2022 to over 300 families per distribution cycle today. They often prepare 350 bags for a two-day distribution period.

“So many families that are coming through our lines are working families, and they’re still not able to meet the food needs of their family,” Voetberg said. “Food insecurity is not just about being homeless or not working at all. It’s about just not being able to meet your family’s budget.”

The uptick reflects multiple economic pressures, Voetberg said. When Amazon goes on strike, new families appear in line. When SNAP benefits were reduced last year, food banks saw an immediate increase in demand. Consistently rising grocery costs force working families to make impossible choices between rent, medical bills, and food.

Kellie Lewis, marketing and communications manager at the Edmonds Food Bank, defines food insecurity as “making really hard decisions between food and other necessities.” That’s what we’re seeing our families do every single week,” she said. “They have to pay rent, pay a medical bill, and need to buy food. All of it is so expensive, and when food is one of those things that may not get money, that’s food insecurity.”

The Edmonds Food Bank has experienced a 30% growth within just the last year, now serving nearly 1,500 households weekly, a number that would be unfathomable without a community of volunteers, Lewis said.

The Mukilteo Food Bank operates entirely with volunteers, with no paid staff, making it one of only two in Snohomish County to do so. “We know that this is a systemic thing, a food problem, not only in our county, but statewide,” Voetberg said. “So we’re really grateful for the partnership of all of the food banks and for having a community willing to show up in this way.”

Volunteers

Jean Eckstrom found her way to the Edmonds Food Bank through a friend shortly after the pandemic. Now retired from a career in the transportation industry, she volunteers multiple days each week, managing data input and tracking the 400 active volunteers who keep the Edmonds Food Bank running.

“Having worked and managed staff, it’s very different with volunteers,” she said. “We don’t require people to be here at a set time for a lot of our projects; they can just show up whenever. There’s probably maybe 250 that are pretty regular, and some people work almost five days a week.”

The flexibility allows people from all walks of life to contribute. Students fulfill scholarship requirements, restaurant owners bag flour between shifts, and many customers become volunteers themselves. “I applied last spring to SNAP, and I was eligible for $298,” Anasazi said. “When my Social Security came in, they knocked it down to $224. At the end of November, they said I was eligible for $236. The very next day was a letter that said I was eligible for $45 because 120 days had passed.”

Anasazi found the food bank essential. But it also offered something beyond groceries: purpose and community.

Due to extensive food allergies and autoimmune issues requiring a highly restrictive diet, Anasazi volunteered to shop for other residents with special dietary needs, including halal families – ensuring that products and services meet the required standards for consumption by Muslims – those with diabetes, and people with celiac disease who require gluten-free diets. “The people that get the food that I pick for them are like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s like Christmas every week,’” Anasazi said. “Knowing that I’m giving them food that they really like and can consume is just a good, positive feeling for me.”

Client dignity

All three food banks emphasize that maintaining client dignity remains essential in their operations. In Mill Creek, clients have appointments rather than waiting in long lines. They shop with carts, selecting items that meet their cultural and dietary needs. “By being able to pick and choose, there’s a dignity in that, right?” Sweeney said. “We serve everyone – Muslim, Christian, all different groups of people. We have certain fish and meats that are halal food for our Muslim guests. That is being respectful.”

The Mukilteo Food Bank takes confidentiality seriously, never photographing clients or inquiring about their circumstances. “We try to be as gracious and welcoming as possible with these families without getting into details about why they’re with us,” Voetberg said. “We just welcome people who come through that have a need.”

At the Edmonds Food Bank, many clients can shop in person, choosing exactly what they want; others place online orders. “Dignity is key,” Lewis said. “It doesn’t feel like charity or a handout, but rather, we’re so glad you’re here.”

The surge in need has been met with an immense amount of community support. When Gov. Bob Ferguson announced SNAP benefit losses, donations flooded the Mill Creek Community Food Bank. “It’s just so heartwarming to see the compassion of the neighbors,” Sweeney said. “The people who have the resources really have stepped up with compassion, because it could be them next.”

The Mukilteo Ace Hardware recently conducted register roundups totaling more than $18,000. Franz Bakery provides fresh bread twice monthly to the Edmonds Food Bank. Businesses, schools, and service organizations conduct regular food drives.

For former clients and volunteers like Anasazi, the work can provide meaning in difficult times. “Outside of volunteering, there’s so much anger. Being able to do something physically versus just talk feels really good. I look forward to coming here. I look forward to connecting with people.”

As food insecurity touches more working families across Snohomish County, food banks stand ready as communities built on the purpose of neighbors taking care of neighbors, where asking for help is not just accepted, but encouraged.

“Everyone deserves love and respect,” Anasazi said. “Everyone.”