Title
A MOTION requesting the executive to identify resources to support food banks and food security organizations experiencing the impacts of inflation.
Body
WHEREAS, from 2018 through 2020, Communities Count reported that about 10.5 percent of adults in King County reported that food that was bought for their households sometimes or often did not last, and they did not have money to purchase more food, and
WHEREAS, lack of adequate food can affect physical and mental health, and children who grow up in homes without enough food are at increased risk of illness and academic and social problems, and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ("the BLS") reported that the consumer price index for all urban consumers rose 9.1 percent from April 2021 to April 2022, and
WHEREAS, during the same period, the BLS reported that food prices increased 11.4 percent, led by higher prices for meats, poultry, fish and eggs, and
WHEREAS, the Seattle Times reported on May 27, 2022, that food banks are experiencing increased operating costs due to inflation at the same time that demand is increasing as food costs rise for households, and
WHEREAS, on June 15, 2022, the United State Federal Reserve raised its key short term interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point, its largest hike in twenty-eight years, impacting credit card, mortgages, savings rates, and stocks, and
WHEREAS, public health - Seattle & King County has granted five million dollars to seventy-four food banks in 2022, and
WHEREAS, moneys are not currently available for further food bank support, and
WHEREAS, some strategies to support food banks could include, but are not limited to:
1. Helping to influence the federal government to reauthorize federal benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program ("SNAP") and other programs in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which is set to expire on September 30, 2023;
2. Directing more resources towards food security or...
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