Food News

Geraldines Tabletop

Geraldine's Tabletop Fundraiser is back, raising funds to help keep our shelves stocked with fresh, healthy and culturally supportive food! Their fundraiser kicks off in November, giving you a chance to give whenever you dine at their restaurant, and running through the end of the year. 

Grocery Shopping Program

We had our first day of grocery shopping in our new Community Food Hub earlier this month— and it was such a joyful day! The space was full of excitement as staff, volunteers, and guests came together. It was amazing to see our vision come to life as guests browsed through the grocery area, picked out what they needed, and chatted about what dinner might be that night.

• Beginning Wednesday, November 5th, grocery shopping will now be available every Wednesday and Friday from 9am-2pm.
• Our Wednesday Mobile Markets will come to a close after October 29th as we make this transition. The Friday Mobile Markets will still be available from 10am-1pm.
• We will be tabling at Paradise Baptist Church to assist with appointments and information on November 5th and 12th. If you would like to sign up for grocery shopping, you can make an appointment on our website at www.rvfb.org/grocery-shopping.

To support our growing grocery days and serve even more neighbors, we’re looking for additional volunteers to help! Visit our website at www.rvfb.org/volunteer to get involved.

Abundance Fund

Double Your Impact Now through October 31st 

The Room for All Campaign is transforming Rainier Valley Food Bank and South Seattle, standing up a community food hub where everyone has access to nourishing food and community resources, support, and care. As we near the finish line, we’re launching the Abundance Fund, the final $3 million of the $17 million campaign. This fund ensures our new space doesn’t just open — it thrives as a center of community care and resilience for generations to come.

Your continued generosity helps shape the future of food access for our neighbors. Our community challenge is live, doubling all gifts up to $350,000. Can we count on you to join us?

Join Our Community Garden Club

Do you enjoy gardening? If your answer is an enthusiastic yes, we’d love to have you join RVFB’s Community Garden Club! Led by our Executive Director, Gloria Hatcher-Mays, the club is kicking off the fall season by cultivating seeds for seasonal planting and will soon begin nurturing seedlings to harvest. It’s a great way to connect with others, learn new skills, and help our garden thrive. 

Interested in joining? Call (206)723-4105 or email info@rvfb.org with the Subject as "Garden". 

Volunteers Needed

We are seeking more volunteers to help out with a few of our programs!

• As our new Grocery Shopping program has started, we are in need of volunteers to lend a hand on Wednesdays and Friday's between 8:45am-2pm. Shifts include Grocery Greeter, Check-In, Check-Out, Helper, and Parking Lot Greeter. View and sign up for our volunteer opportunities here rvfb.volunteerhub.com/vv2/. 
• Our Grocery Rescue program is also looking for some more volunteers to help out on Wednesdays or Thursdays from 9am to 12pm. Requirements for this role include the ability to lift 35lbs., a clean driving record, and comfortability driving a cargo van. To learn more, please contact our Driver Coordinator, Carson at carson.spaulding@rvfb.org.  
• We are seeking Home Delivery Drivers to help out on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The routes can be picked up between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have their own vehicle, and agree to a background check. 
• Lastly, our Friday Mobile Market's are in need of a few volunteers to help with Check-In from 9:45am-1pm. For this role, you need to be at least 18 years old and agree to a background check. Training will be provided before your first shift.

Did You know?

Food insecurity has seen a significant rise in recent years. In 2023, an estimated 13.5 percent of U.S. households (18 million households) were food insecure and of these, 6.8 million households experienced very low food security. On September 20th, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that after 30 years, it is terminating all future Household Food Security Reports, which provides critical data on food insecurity and other factors in the U.S. For years, these data reports have helped food banks and anti-hunger organizations identify trends and allocate resources, but ending the annual food security survey will greatly limit the ability to track meaningful progress and understand changing needs.

While national reporting may change, our commitment to addressing and ending hunger in our community remains stronger than ever. We’re preparing to serve more of our neighbors as SNAP benefits face reductions and families experience greater need. Every donation, volunteer shift, and act of advocacy helps us do so.

Community News

Catch the Latest from RVFB

Have you seen our move week photos? Now that we’ve officially settled into our new space, take a look at how our staff came together to move and set up the new building last month.

Check out our new Fall recipe: Pozole Verde with Chicken, Hominy, and Lime from The Pantry. 

South Seattle Emerald spoke with our Executive Director, Gloria Hatcher-Mays, about the Federal Shutdown and is featured in a recent article titled "Federal Shutdown Threatens WIC Program Serving Thousands of South End Families". Follow the link to view her statement. 

Last month, our logos went up inside and outside the new building! We’re so excited for what’s next: a beautiful mural that a local artist team will be starting soon. Stay tuned for updates!

Curious to see the latest from our food bank? Follow us on social media to see posts about our programs and what's available at the food bank, or visit our blog to read full stories.