The Alliance for Education is activating an additional $150,000 in emergency gift cards through its Right Now Needs Fund program this November.
As families brace for the loss of a critical federal benefit—SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)—the Alliance for Education is stepping forward with additional emergency resources to ensure Seattle students can stay focused on learning and not where their next meal will come from.
In addition to the $1 million the Alliance distributes annually to meet student basic needs, the organization is activating an additional $150,000 in emergency gift cards through its Right Now Needs Fund program this November. These funds will be distributed directly through Seattle Public Schools’ Social Workers and Family Support Workers and will help students and families purchase essentials like food and urgent necessities as the winter months approach.
“Since 2018 our Right Now Needs Fund has been there to meet immediate needs that too often stand between students and their ability to learn,” says Roxanne Christian, president at Alliance for Education. “This moment calls for direct response and we feel a deep responsibility to bring every possible resource to bear in support of Seattle’s students. This isn’t the time to standby; it’s the time to act.”
This emergency allocation comes as Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) estimates that 10,000 students statewide will lose benefits permanently as a result of the recent “Big Beautiful Bill.” For many, this change will have life-altering consequences threatening access to meals, stable housing and other essentials that underpin academic success.
Tracey Thompson, a social worker at West Seattle Elementary School, has already witnessed the impact on local families.
“The domino effect of losing SNAP benefits is devastating. This is an attack on families who are already marginalized in so many ways,” said Thompson. “Food insecurity increases stress and forces impossible trade-offs. When families spend more on food, it means less money for rent, utilities or warm clothing as the weather turns cold. Many families are already on the fault line. This past week alone, several families have visited our school’s food pantry, worried about how they’ll feed their children. West Seattle is a magical and diverse community filled with hardworking immigrant families, and this loss of support will ripple through every part of our neighborhood.”
“What’s special about SNAP and unique about the Fund providing gift cards is that it does not strip a student or family of their dignity. They still get to go shopping to choose foods that are right for their diet or culture. They get to have autonomy just like most of us do when we go to the grocery store,” says Zeynab Abdulgadir, director of the Right Now Needs Fund at Alliance for Education. “Every dollar we invest through this fund represents more than a transaction; it’s a signal to our students that their community sees them and values them.”
Since its creation, the Right Now Needs Fund has distributed over $6 million in direct support to students and families across Seattle Public Schools, made possible by an initial gift and ongoing support from Amazon.
The Alliance for Education encourages community members and partners to join this effort and help sustain these emergency supports through the winter season with a gift to the Right Now Needs Fund.
“We are grateful to be able to respond to this unprecedented moment and are hopeful that some of our neighbors and community members across Seattle will join us,” says Zoe Poynor, development director at Alliance for Education. “A $10 donation to the Right Now Needs Fund provides a meal for one student, $50 can provide food for the week and $500 covers an entire month for a family.”
About the Alliance for Education
For 30 years, the Alliance for Education has worked in partnership with Seattle Public Schools to address crucial challenges facing students, families and educators. Our mission is to support excellence in education by advancing educational justice and racial equity for students in Seattle Public Schools. Our work is collaborative as we seek to address systemic inequities in public schools and create a more equitable and just education system that allows all Seattle students to thrive.