Geography, traffic, limited mobility, limited access to transportation, limited resources, and complex or confusing systems can challenge an individual’s ability to seek and receive the housing, financial, social, or health services they need to thrive.
Food banks are important gathering points in which diverse groups of persons of whom the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) can help are likely to frequent. Particularly, food banks in rural communities are important service locations, especially if there are no other service locations that are readily accessible to the public as potential centralized entry points for additional services.
A new funding opportunity is available from the VSHSL to support King County residents in accessing the services they need to thrive by funding food banks in rural areas to use technology to facilitate remote access to human services, including services funded by VSHSL as well as other community services.
Funding for Remote Access from Rural Food Banks Pilot
The Remote Access from Rural Food Banks Pilot strategy seeks to fund food banks in rural areas of King County to operate as centralized points of access from which residents may increase knowledge about what human services may be available to meet their needs, connect to service providers and/or potentially receive direct support or assistance at this centralized location.
Funded food banks will:
- Utilize technology to serve as a centralized information and access point for regional health and human services that benefit vulnerable populations in King County.
- Provide outreach and needs assessments to food bank participants in order to best connect them to services.
- Connect, as appropriate, food bank participants to County service systems that may include, but are not exclusive of, the King County Veterans Program, VSHSL-funded behavioral health crisis prevention programs and/or senior centers that are part of a VSHSL Senior Hub.
- Connect food bank participants to regional health and humans services providers including those that may provide assistance with food, social engagement or connectivity, health promotion programming, housing, reentry supports, utilities, child care, employment, job training, medical, dental, and health care services, etc.
Application details
Available funding: Up to $918,348 in VSHSL funds
Investment period: August 1, 2021 – December 31, 2023 (subject to change)
Questions: Contact N`dia Prettyman at npretty@kingcounty.gov
Applications due: June 2, 2021 by 11:59 pm
Bidders Conference:
April 28, 2021 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
ZOOM Meeting: https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/98586435896
Webinar ID: 985 8643 5896
Join by Phone: 1-253-215-8782
The Bidders Conference session will be recorded and posted at kingcounty.gov/VSHSL-Funding.
For more information and to apply visit: https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/RuralFoodBanksPilot
You must be logged in to post a comment.