Data shows Washington food insecurity rising as food bank visits exceed 13 million
Dec 16, 2024, 6:18 PM | Updated: 6:20 pm
A line of people wait for food outside the University District Food Bank in Seattle, Dec. 16. (Photo: Sam Campbell, 成人X站 Newsradio.)
(Photo: Sam Campbell, 成人X站 Newsradio.)
New data from the (WSDA) show signs of rising food insecurity in the Evergreen State. In a chart sent to 成人X站 Newsradio, Washington residents went to food banks 13.3 million times over the 2024 fiscal year. One year prior, about 10.9 million visits were recorded.
In terms of the total proportion of the state population, officials listed 1 in 4 Washingtonians as having gone to a food bank in 2024 鈥� a rise from 1 in 5 in 2023 and 1 in 6 in 2022.
Rising housing and food costs are the primary factors behind the surge, according to Daniel Schafer, a spokesperson with the WSDA. Schafer said between the two reasons, grocery prices took a back seat to rent and mortgage payments.
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Outside the University District Food Bank in Seattle, those in line told 成人X站 Newsradio they are more focused on stagnant wages.
鈥淐ome up to a guy and he鈥檚 got a full body cast on and he鈥檚 hobbling down the street somehow, and you got to go up to him and ask him how he鈥檚 doing,鈥� Lyle English, offering a metaphor for struggle when asked of his financial situation, said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your reaction?鈥�
Susan, who provided just her first name, also waited in line for more than an hour at the food bank on Monday.
鈥淚鈥檝e been going to food banks for about 5 years,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I see that the quality of the food is diminishing.鈥�
She said the variety of donations is decreasing, too, and she suspects government assistance is making up more of the stock as donations decrease.
鈥淔ive years ago, half the stuff 鈥� you could tell these were (from) people that were donating,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese were individual different things. Those are all gone.鈥�
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Despite the spike in people visiting the food banks, the data shows the average amount of pounds of food each person has received is decreasing. According to the WSDA, the number has steadily dropped from 21.65 in 2022 to 18.67 in 2023 and then most recently, 17.23 in 2024.
While the need continues to rise year over year, Schafer said pandemic-era aid from the federal government is expiring in 2025, leading the WSDA to increase its request for funding food assistance programs 鈥� an action he said is necessary to maintain 鈥渟tability.鈥�
Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at 成人X站 Newsradio. You can read more of Sam鈥檚 stories聽here. Follow Sam on聽, or聽email him here.
