A Seattle Food Bank Pioneers a Holistic Approach To Solving Hunger.
Aug 17, 2012
Video Transcript
SUPER: Beth Elliot, Executive Director, FISH Food Banks
Beth Elliot: Our mission at Fish Food Banks of Piers County is to provide food for individuals in need with compassion dignity and respect. Since about 2008, we have seen the number of folks that we’re serving, increase substantially, probably eighty-five percent. So the need for food, is huge. Last year, Fish Food Banks served over 445,000 of our neighbors in need. We were one of the first organizations that started the self-serve concept. So often with people who are in immediate poverty, they have no choice in their life, and so this was one way that we could re-introduce that choice.
Volunteer: There you go! And you can have…
SUPER: Bob Peters, Local Market President, Washington State, Bank of America
Bob Peters: Fish Food Banks provides food, but it also collaborates with other organizations to provide services beyond basic food that are needed.
Beth Elliot: We have formed a partnership with South Sound Outreach Services, and they’re able to sign folks up, right at the food bank, for food stamps.
Worker: How can I be of assistance today?
Beth Elliot: They provide utility assistance, foreclosure assistance, and free tax preparation year round. It was Bank of America that really helped jump-start that initiative and really get us going here.
Bob Peters: If you solve a hunger problem, but you don’t deal with other needs that those families have, you’re not going to change the direction in their lives. That collaboration is absolutely key to make an individual or a family holistically healthier going forward.
Beth Elliot: You know, I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do. Because we help somebody out every single day.
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