SEATTLE — The ACRS Food Bank has moved to a larger, newly leased space in the Tsue Chong Building in the Chinatown-International District, just blocks away from its previous location.
At around 5,500 square feet, the new location at 800 South Weller Street is 10 times the space of its longtime home in the trailer on South King Street.
In a Feb. 10 news release, ACRS said it is responding to the growing need for culturally relevant food for people experiencing hunger in the Seattle metropolitan area and throughout King County.
“After over 20 years in a cramped trailer at South King Street, we are delighted to move into a much larger space to better address hunger, food insecurity, and access to culturally relevant food in our community,” said ACRS Director of Aging and Adult Services Director G De Castro, who oversees the ACRS Food Bank. “The new space will allow us to offer an enhanced experience for those accessing food bank services and resources, even as we search for a permanent home for the food bank.”
The new food bank offers clients grocery store-style shopping where they can more independently self-select the food they need. It also includes expansive storage space, two walk-in freezers, and a large sorting area for staff and volunteers to operate its remote feeding and home delivery programs in the future.
During the pandemic, the food bank and senior meal program saw a 200% increase in demand, going from providing 600-700 food bags per week to home delivering over 2,100 bags.
Besides nutrition, ACRS programs cover medical check-ups, senior wellness, behavioral health, rent and cash assistance, youth development, job training, immigration assistance, and more.
The new food bank is open to the public on Fridays 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Volunteers donated over 850 hours at the ACRS Food Bank to help distribute over one million pounds of food in 2021.
If you’re interested in volunteering, go to acrs.org/volunteer.