We activated $150K in grocery gift cards and an outpour of donors provided stability in a moment when federal systems did not.
Last fall when the government shutdown disrupted SNAP benefits, the impact on students and families in our community was immediate. Family Support Workers and other Seattle Public Schools (SPS) staff began hearing the same concerns across schools: grocery budgets stretched thin, empty refrigerators before the end of the week, and parents trying to shield their children from the stress of uncertainty.
Because of the Right Now Needs Fund, they were able to respond without delay. We worked to activate $150K in emergency grocery gift cards and school teams mobilized quickly to distribute them so families could put food on the table and students could come to school ready to learn. The Fund provided stability in a moment when federal systems did not.
One SPS Family Support Worker shared a story about a caregiver who arrived at school worried about how she would feed her children through the weekend. The school provided immediate grocery support and that assistance gave the family breathing room to focus on longer-term stability rather than day-to-day survival.
Because of the outpour of support from donors, we had greater flexibility to use existing funds for additional needs facing families. For example, we received double than normal requests for shelter and housing support for families facing eviction. We would not have been able to support them if resources were depleted by requests for groceries alone. As temperatures dropped, this flexibility meant families could remain housed, students could stay connected to their schools, and caregivers could avoid the cascading disruptions that housing displacement brings.
Our community’s generosity did more than just provide meals: It strengthened schools’ ability to provide wraparound support addressing hunger, housing instability, and student well-being in real time.
As we aim to be more transparent in the impact the Alliance has, we also want to thank our community of donors for the trust you place in our organization and for standing alongside our school communities when it matters most.