On Saturday, April 4th, many Wallingford residents joined local dignitaries in celebrating the grand opening of the FamilyWorks Wallingford Food Bank. The following recap was provided by FamilyWorks Executive Director Marcia Wright-Soika.
What a joyful, heart-filled day it was to celebrate the grand opening of the Wallingford Food Bank with our community on a beautiful spring Saturday!
It was truly special to see more than 250 neighbors, partners, volunteers, and friends gathered together, reminding us that this work has always been, at its core, about community. This moment is about more than opening a renovated space. It’s about what’s possible when people come together with care, creativity, and a shared commitment to making sure everyone has access to the food and resources they need to thrive.
For more than 30 years, FamilyWorks has been a steady presence in North Seattle, connecting people to food, essential services, and to one another. This refreshed space reflects that legacy and looks ahead, expanding access to fresh, culturally relevant food and creating a welcoming place where every neighbor can feel a true sense of belonging.
This celebration, and this transformation, would not have been possible without so many of you. Thank you to our generous event sponsors, ContinuServe (formerly Quatrro), Mercer Advisors, Puget Sound Solar, Reverb, and SHKS Architects, for investing in this vision and in our community. We’re also deeply grateful to our public partners and elected leaders for their support, including the City of Seattle, whose investment as the lead funder helped bring this project to life.
We’d like to give a big thank you to FamilyWorks program participant Sabina Lopez, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Seattle City Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Maritza Rivera, King County Councilmember Jorge L. Barón, and Michael Tanaka, Outreach and Grants Coordinator at Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s office, who all shared remarks with our community. We also want to recognize the staff, volunteers, program participants, and community members who helped shape this space every step of the way. This is your space.
And of course, thank you to the incredible group of vendors and partners who made the day so vibrant, sharing food, resources, and connection. From community tables to delicious bites and joyful moments throughout, it truly felt like a celebration of everything that makes this community strong.
GiveBIG recently came to a close, and we’re filled with deep gratitude for what we’ve achieved together. Thanks to the generosity of community members, we’ve raised over $35,000 for local families during GiveBIG. Thank you! Because of our donors, families facing food insecurity and financial stress can access fresh, culturally familiar groceries, essential resources, and a welcoming community. At a time when social services designed to help families are being dismantled, public funding for nonprofits is shrinking, and the cost of living keeps rising, our donors’ commitment to our neighbors inspires hope for this community.
If you couldn’t attend the Grand Opening you can reach out to us to set up a time to visit the renovated food bank. Want to learn more about how to support our work? Visit our website to learn how to donate, volunteer, or a host a food drive.
Hosting a food drive is simple, flexible, and easy to make your own. FamilyWorks will provide donation collection bins, create a personalized donation webpage for your campaign, and even help spread the word on social media. Whether you’re an individual, family, or business, you can make an impact for local families. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
- Collect donations of food or children’s clothing instead of gifts at your birthday or holiday party.
- Organize a workplace drive with your colleagues. It’s a great way to team-build while giving back!
- Rally your book club, faith group, or neighborhood to meet a specific goal of donated items.
Connect with us through our Host a Drive webpage to turn your compassion into action and help support local families this spring!
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