2021 Annual Report
Dear Friends,
When we started 2021, like many in our community, we were hopeful that a return to normalcy was on the horizon, with the promise of the coronavirus vaccine and its potential lighting the way. Our reality was much more complicated, and we continued to face isolation, ongoing health and economic hardship, persistent food insecurity, and disruption to learning, work, and family life. Through this challenging year, our donors, volunteers, staff, and partners doubled down on their support for FamilyWorks and affirmed the steps we have taken to be a more inclusive and responsive organization at such a critical time.
In the last year, FamilyWorks established ourselves as more than a place, but as a community resource that will come to you, be part of your community, and build on your strengths. Even as we faced our very first COVID closures, and our staff grappled with personal loss and illness, we welcomed staff and volunteers in positions brand new to us as our programs grew their reach.
When we reflect on what has made us proud, it is the strength, resilience, and creativity of our staff, volunteers, participants, and community partners. As we worked through the uncertainty of federal relief, we co-organized COVID vaccine clinics with partners to join the effort to ensure the most marginalized would have access. We launched our Mobile Food Pantry and are working toward reimagining how a food bank reaches families and neighbors in new ways. FamilyWorks has traditionally served families and neighbors in North Seattle, but through the Community Closet and a new partnership with a community information exchange, we welcomed families from Snoqualmie, Kent, and communities all around King County.
Throughout the pages of this report, we share many highlights of the year behind us. These highlights also represent countless lessons learned behind the scenes because of our trusting relationship with our participants, generous contributions from our volunteers, and a mission-driven staff and Board committed to centering the community we serve in our work. We are grateful beyond words to all of you for investing your time, resources, and heart in FamilyWorks along the way.
MARCIA WRIGHT-SOIKA
Executive Director
ALISON PARSONS
Board President
Our Service Area
The above map is meant to provide an overview of our general service area, and some key program and resource distribution locations, including both of our Food Banks, Community Closet, Mobile Food Pantry stops, Satellite Resource Center at Nathan Hale High School, and student PowerPack distribution sites. We continued to expand our Home Grocery Delivery program, serving folks from across North Seattle on 9 different delivery routes.
We always refer participants to food banks and resources closer to their homes, but we never limit our services to our immediate neighbors in North Seattle. Not reflected on this map are the dozens of participants who traveled from neighboring cities and counties to visit our Food Banks, Community Closet,
or participate in Family Programs. Our Family Resource Center had visitors who traveled from as far North as Lynnwood, as far east as Snoqualmie, and as far South as Auburn!
2021 Highlights
In-person Resource Center Programming Returns
Developed safer ways to meet in person, bringing programs such as our playgroups and Cooking Matters class outside, and hosting field trips to places around Seattle.
Expanded Food Bank Express Programs
Expanded our Membership Cards and Text-to-Go Program, and launched our new Mobile Food Pantry, all of which are designed to lower barriers for our participants to access fresh foods and vital resources.
12 % Increase in Volunteering Hours
Our volunteers stepped up their service in 2021, filling new roles and giving 1,000 more hours than in 2020.
Over 500% increase in Community Connections
In 2021, we added a second Community Connector to provide one-on-one support for our participants. Over 400 participants worked directly with a Community Connector to meet their specific needs, connecting to vital resources such as rental and utility assistance.
Increased Food Purchases
Made a commitment to provide fresh produce and culturally relevant foods for our participants despite supply chain issues, leading to purchasing contracts with five local Farm Partners and four local vendors.
Joined HealthierHere’s Connect2Community Exchange
This network of local social service and healthcare organizations throughout King County has helped expand our reach, making it easier for other agencies to refer new participants to us. We received over 100 referrals from Connect2Community in 2021!
Continued expansion of Home Grocery Delivery
After doubling our Home Grocery Delivery routes in 2020, the program continued to grow, with over 15% more deliveries made to folks who face barriers accessing in- person services.
Food Access Programs
When our team met to reflect on the year, two themes emerged: growth and mobility. 2021 was a big year for us. We brought on two wonderful new team members, launched our Mobile Food Pantry, and expanded our Home Delivery Program and our Text-to-Go program all in response to growing demand for more flexible and accessible food bank services. In total, we served over 3,000 households through our seven food access programs.
Our work in the food bank is grounded in food justice, which centers the importance of not only providing nutritious and accessible food, but also culturally appropriate foods. We believe that everyone deserves to make their own decisions about the foods they feed themselves and their families. This is why, in 2021 we partnered with five local farmers and four vendors, to ensure a steady stream of fresh produce, dairy, meats, and other foods that are culturally significant for the many communities we serve.
We also worked to ensure that our participants’ requests are informing each purchase we make. When one of our farm partners heard requests from our participants for more Asian greens, they quickly worked them into our deliveries.
We continued to grow our Text-to-Go program, doubling the amount of households registered in 2020 for our version of ‘grocery store curbside pick-up.’ The relationships we’ve fostered with our fellow food providers, our participants, and our volunteers are the foundation of this work. We are continually in awe of the strength in simply showing up for one another on a local level. Without our incredible team and partners, this work would not be possible.
Thank you for your continued support!
Food Access Program Highlights
3,242
Households served in 2021
Made fresh produce bags, filled with fruits and vegetables (some local!) available every day
6,388
Home deliveries to 219 households
2,644
“No cook” bags and hygiene supplies handed out to our unhoused neighbors
2,394
Mobile food pantry visits from 200 households at four sites
1,712
Bags of food distributed to school-aged kids by collaborating with Backpack Brigade and Food for Schools
Received funding through the King County Farm Share program, via Harvest Against Hunger, to purchase produce directly from local farms
624
Text-to-Go customized grocery boxes delivered to 76 households
Created a nutrition policy with American Heart Association and provided guidelines to help our donors understand healthier food options to donate.
Family Resource Center
As we take a moment to look back at 2021, we are so proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished. Our programs became more enriching for our participants during this difficult time by adapting, expanding, and creating new services.
At the Family Resource Center, we were reminded of how crucial our family enrichment programs have become as we brought some of them back in person, including outdoor summer playgroups, field trips, and our Cooking Matters program. Now in its second year of operation, FamilyWorks worked alongside Seattle Public Schools to offer a satellite resource center at Nathan Hale High School during the school year, providing essential resources to families who were referred by teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors. We were also able to continue offering many of our empowerment programs virtually, like our parenting classes and Girls on the Run. In 2021 we also expanded our community partnerships, like through the Connect2Community Exchange network, in order to provide additional resources for families referred by healthcare and other providers.
A participant mentioned during our Back-to-School program that “parenting can feel daunting some days and perhaps occasionally isolating. It is so nice to have a neighborhood place that supports children and families!” This speaks to how the Resource Center acts as a welcoming and inclusive space for our families where they can access the services they need without barriers.
By being responsive and open to the needs of our participants we have been able to grow the ways we provide social connection, emotional support, and essential resources. We are so proud and amazed by how far we came, and we’d like to take a moment to recognize all the people that helped keep us moving forward. It takes a community of passionate staff, volunteers, donors, and participants to ensure we can uplift each other and to work towards resiliency.
Blanca's Story – 2021 Sunday Supper At Home:
Learn about Blanca, a community leader and FamilyWorks partner who has been integral to the success of our Mobile Food Pantry at Bella B Mobile Home Village!
We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Blanca and her family, for sharing their story with our community.
Resource Center Highlights
750
Total number of households served
Back-to-School program
31
48
Children served
Winter Wish Program
56
Families served by sponsored donors
208
Families served through the Community Closet
Community Connector
>400
Participants enrolled in 9 community and public benefits
Volunteers
Whether they were sorting donations to our Community Closet, gleaning supermarket produce in our grocery rescue van, or riding along with our Mobile Food Pantry, our volunteers kept the wheels of our programs turning. It was through their tireless support that we were able to both roll out new services and expand existing programs to better serve our participants and meet the increased needs of our community.
2021 Volunteer Stats:
192
Number of volunteers
9,266
Total volunteer hours averaging 772 hours/month
1,686
Resource Center volunteer hours and 91 volunteers
(Resource Center, Social Work Practicum, Interns, development)
6,897
Food Bank volunteer hours and 125 volunteers (Food Bank, food rescue, home deliveries, food drives, AmeriCorps)
386
Board volunteer hours; 13 people
2021 Kerwin Manuel Impact Award
Each year, our staff come together to nominate the recipient of the annual Kerwin Manuel Impact Award, named after the late Mr. Manuel for his dedicated service to our participants and community.
We are pleased to announce that the recipient of this 2021 Kerwin Manuel Impact Award is our wonderful food bank volunteer, Dave Johnson!
Dave has been an absolute rock star of a volunteer at the Wallingford Food Bank, giving hundreds of hours of his time to our community over the past five years. His dedication to our participants is inspiring and we are so grateful to have him on our volunteer team!
Thank you for everything, Dave!
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Initiatives
Action
Impact
Action:
Soul Fire Farm Training
Impact:
Kickstarted discussions on our food bank’s role in advancing racial equity, initiating conversations about language justice and leading to a commitment to using purchasing power to support BIPOC-owned farms and vendors, increasing the amount spent on intentionally sourced produce in 2021 to $15,000.
Action:
Attended Duke World Food Policy Center’s “Examining Whiteness in Food Systems” training.
Impact:
Developing understanding and awareness of how white supremacy culture shows up across the food system. Learned how to identify white narratives and counter them. This training also led to conversations about who the decision- makers are and how we can shift power and control into the hands of our participants.
Action:
Playgroups involved discussion and a safe space for caregivers to reflect on the impact of racism on their personal and daily lives.
Impact:
Caregivers became more aware of resources available to them and normalized having these discussions with other caregivers and their children, deepening their understanding.
Action:
Highlighted through program materials and discussion during family programs Black leaders and community members.
Impact:
Children were able to readily recognize and celebrate the impact of Black leaders and community members on our history and society.
Action:
Highlighted and shared stories and experiences of our participants by hosting cultural celebrations and get-togethers, such as El Día de los Muertos and Las Posadas, posting story spotlights on our blog and social media, and incorporating their strengths and cultures within the work that we do.
Impact:
Our community, through these shared experiences, were able to develop a clearer understanding of one another, particularly the folks who walk through our doors for services.
Action:
Developed a working draft and process for Land Acknowledgment for board approval in 2022.
Impact:
The process of creating a land acknowledgment helped our staff further our awareness and understanding of the history of the Duwamish people in our area. In doing so, we aim to also create accountability for FamilyWorks as an organization, to educate ourselves, provide and promote responsive programming that reflects our values, and honor our community.
Action:
Invested in translation for materials and on-demand translation during services.
Impact:
Significantly increased participants’ access to important program information and ability to communicate with staff and volunteers. Materials are regularly translated into six languages.
FamilyWorks Staff
Along with our volunteers, FamilyWorks staff put their heart and soul into this work, creating an environment where our entire community can feel respected, where we have opportunities for growth, and where we can all make a positive impact.
Joey Ashenbrenner
(he/him)
Director of Development & Communications
Edsel Blanche
(he/him)
Family Resource Center Manager
Liala Cooney
(she/her)
Family Programs Coordinator
Elizabeth Cox
(she/her)
Americorps VISTA
Hannah Daley
(she/her)
Grants & Evaluations Coortinator
Jemiris Gonzalez-
de Jesus
(he/him)
Mobile Food Pantry Coordinator
Morgan Grady- Benson
(she/her)
Community Connector
Kat Johnson
(she/her)
Volunteer Coordinator
Cassius Kim
(they/them)
Database Coordinator
Ollie Lauver
(they/them)
HungerCorps Food Access Coordinator
Kirby Lochner
(he/him)
Communications Coordinator
Elsie Martinez, BSW
(she/her)
Family Programs Coordinator
Gladys Martinez
(she/her)
Youth & Family Programs Coordinator
Sarah Maness
(she/her)
Food Bank Coordinator
Pete Metzelfeld
(he/him)
Food Bank Coordinator
James Moody
(he/him)
Food Bank Coordinator
Anisa Nun
(she/her)
Community Connector & Family Programs Coordinator
Tobey Solomon- Auger
(she/her)
Food Bank Manager
Theresa Williams
(she/her)
Office Manager
Marcia Wright- Soika
Executive Director
Interns
Eva Anderson • Vivien He • Ashley Miller-Rhees • Nayeli Quiroz-Torres • Rachel Redman
Board Members/Executives in 2021
What would we do without the hard working visionary leadership of our Board? Their insight and behind- the-scenes help with infrastructure, development, and other mission-based activities keeps us growing strong. They are a mighty bunch!
Clara Behnke
Anindita Chatterjee
Patricia Emmons
Larry Gail
Kristina Herrmann
Brianna Jackson
Rev. Tiare Mathison
Caroline Mburu
John Olson
Alison Parsons
Alessandra Pollock
Megan Scoville
Abdul Qaiyyum Subedar
Clara Behnke
Anindita Chatterjee
Patricia Emmons
Larry Gail
Kristina Herrmann
Brianna Jackson
Rev. Tiare Mathison
Caroline Mburu
John Olson
Alison Parsons
Alessandra Pollock
Megan Scoville
Abdul Qaiyyum Subedar
Funding
Income for 2021
Contributions $1,327,438
In-Kind $1,038,562
Special Events $100,352
City/State Contracts $546,163
Grants $274,167
Interest/Other $4,806
Total Income $3,291,488
Expenses for 2021
Program Services $2,272,826 Management & General $235,818 Fundraising $236,717
Total Expenses $2,745,361
Thank You For Making An Impact
To Our Donors – 2021 has been another whirlwind of a year and we are so grateful to have had such a supportive community standing by us every step of the way. As the pandemic stretched onward and financial relief became even more difficult to receive, we saw a continued increase in participants accessing our services as our community’s needs grew. Thanks to the generosity and partnership of each and every one of you, we were able to ensure access to nourishing food, vital resources, and a caring community for our participants.