North Helpline - Lake City Food Bank, Seattle Washington

Our Mission: North Helpline Food Bank's mission is to feed the hungry, provide emergency assistance for residents of zip codes 98125, 98133, 98155, 98177, & 98115, and refer people to other agencies for additional services. We are dedicated to improving lives by providing critical services to those in need.

Concerned Citizens Take Action: Over 15 years ago, concerned citizens, business leaders, service organizations, and local church members in North Seattle formed North Helpline Emergency Services, a non-profit organization that provides support for residents of North Seattle, Shoreline, and Lake Forest Park who are experiencing difficult financial times.

With the help of compassionate volunteers and support from the local community, North Helpline assists an increasing number of families in need of food, transportation, housing services, and and utility services.

Numbers Continue to Grow: North Helpline Lake City Food Bank client numbers continue to grow, and we don't expect that to change. While we are able to meet most food needs with donations from the community, we have seen other needs intensify that cannot meet met through food. To address these we offer emergency services including eviction prevention, utility shut-off prevention, transportation assistance, emergency food, hygiene kits and other health-related services.

In Need of a New Building: The Lake City Fire Station, with which we are currently located, is slated to be rebuilt in 2008 and we are currently seeking a new home. The existing building will be demolished to make way for a new structure on the same site, which means that we will be forced to relocate. North Helpline is working with city, county and state officials as well as community members to identify and research alternative solutions to our situation. We realize it is a large undertaking and will not be possible without the support of our community.

Who We Serve: NHL serves citizens of King County, concentrating on the Northeast Seattle, Shoreline, and Lake Forest Park communities. The population served includes disabled, seniors, immigrants, low-income underemployed, unemployed and homeless. Our services extend to residents of zip codes 98125, 98133, 98155, 98177, & 98115.

Our History: North Helpline (NHL) is a 501c3 non-profit organization started by concerned citizens in North Seattle in 1989 to serve local neighbors in need of emergency assistance. The local area has an extremely high density of low-income urban housing in Seattle, but has historically been without appropriate governmental health and human services programs.

NHL has a twelve-member Board of Directors, Executive Director, Food Bank Manager (paid, part-time), Inventory Manager (paid, part-time), Bookkeeper and over 300 volunteers who contribute almost 17,000 hours to operate and maintain the programs. Donations and grants are used to provide local disadvantaged citizens help with utility costs, rental assistance, and transportation to medical appointments, and emergency food bags. In 2001, NHL added a food bank to serve the community and in 2002 tested a health-screening clinic. The food bank served 16,443 households representing 38,967 clients in 2004 and distributed almost 900,000 pounds of food. NHL contributed funds to keep 152 families from eviction by contributing $14,699, and paid $3483 in utilities for families with utility shut off notices. North Helpline's support keeps families in their homes and food on the table - all elements contributing to the stabilization of the family and community.