Snohomish County Food Resources

There are many people in our community that face challenges putting food on the table.

Food distribution centers and food banks aid individuals and families in preventing hunger by providing free food items to be prepared at home.

Washington Food Needs

·       1 in 5 children live in a household that struggles to put food on the table.

·       1 in 5 Washingtonians rely on their local food bank.

·       Washington is the 23^rd hungriest state in the nation.

Due to COVID-19, some people in our community may be visiting a food bank for the first time. During uncertain times, challenges preventing hunger can feel intensified. To help with this challenge we’ve gathered some community resources to help the fight against hunger:

If you or someone you know is in need of food, please contact Snohomish County Food Bank Coalition for information about the 21 food banks located within Snohomish County.

There are also many school district-related food distribution sites for students and anyone under the age of 18, at no cost, in Snohomish County. Those locations are listed here: Snohomish County School Districts are Offering Meals at no cost for Children at many locations.

The City of Everett and Snohomish County are leading a regional effort to recruit volunteers to assist at food banks and meal distribution sites throughout Everett and Snohomish County. If you are in the position to give back to your community and volunteer for a local food bank, please visit: https://everettwa.gov/formcenter/emergency-management-21/2020-volunteer-for-local-food-banks-and--326.

Community Transit has several bus routes that are within walking distance of food banks in Snohomish County. For a list and the bus routes to get to them, please visit: https://www.communitytransit.org/foodbanks.

Community Transit’s Day in the Life: Oxy Gene

Our spotlight this month is on a man who needs little introduction, Community Transit’s very own Superhero, Oxy Gene! He’s been spreading the word about his personal motto of truth, justice and really clean air for 15 years. Watch for Oxy Gene at fairs and festivals all across Snohomish County. I think you’ll agree with me that he’s definitely earned his title of Superhero!
 

 

Hello Good People!

  

I know you’ve probably seen me around the Puget Sound area and are wondering, “Who is this Oxy Gene character anyway”? Well fellow citizens, I can’t give out all of my secrets, but let me tell you a little bit about myself.

 

I live in the small town of Airisclear, WA near the slopes of Mt. Rainier. I love waking up in the morning and seeing that beautiful mountain! But when air quality standards begin to fall, the mountain becomes a little hazy. That’s when I dash from my home to rid the air of pollution. I HATE POLLUTION! I hate everything about it! I hate the vile concoction of filth, exhaust, and other oxygen killing particulates that invade our air everyday. What is one of the main causes of air pollution? You guessed it…CARS! But by taking public transportation you are doing your part to keep our air clean.

 

When Community Transit called I was happy to help out. I spend my days visiting the good people of Snohomish County showing them how to ride the bus, and all the benefits of using public transportation including making our community a better and healthier place to live, and how to save time and money by sharing the ride with family and friends. Now that summer is here, look for me at various parades around beautiful Snohomish County. Enjoy the summer everyone! 

Want a chance to meet Oxy Gene? Visit him this summer at the following events:

• July 19 – Snohomish Kla Ha Ya Days Parade
• August 2 – Stanwood Camano Fair Parade
• August 5 – Mukilteo National Night Out
• August 5 – Snohomish County National Night Out
• August 9 – Mill Creek Kids Fun Run
• September 6 – Mukilteo Lighthouse Parade
• September 13 – Marysville Touch a Truck

For more information on Oxy Gene please visit www.commtrans.org/oxygene.

Kids STEP on board Community Transit buses

Education Coordinator Steve Peters shows a class
how to board a Community Transit bus

Community Transit’s School Transit Education Program (STEP) is a free educational experience offered to all public and private schools throughout Snohomish County with the goal of teaching students K-12 the benefits of public transportation. 
Education Coordinator Steve Peters uses his background in theater to bring a 30-minute classroom presentation to life! Steve uses stories, imitations and funny characters to introduce public transportation to thousands of children each year. Kids learn about transit and their role in keeping the environment clean, as well as basic bus know how such as how to read a route number, bus etiquette, bus safety and much more! 

Once the classroom presentation is complete, all children board a Community Transit bus for a half-hour ride around the community. This “rolling classroom” driven by some of Community Transit's best drivers, allows students to apply their skills as new bus riders.

Since the program began in 1985, Steve has worked with over 140,000 students at more than 200 schools throughout Snohomish County.  For more information about the program, call (425) 348-7148 or email steve.peters@commtrans.org.

Community Transit Staff Give Back

Each year Community Transit employees come together to give back to our community by volunteering our time and donating to the United Way of Snohomish County.  Earlier this fall, Community Transit kicked off our 2013 United Way campaign, Strength In Community, with a goal to raise $45,000 for charity organizations throughout the county.

The campaign kicked off with over 25 Community Transit staff and family volunteers assisted with repairs and general maintenance including cleaning, repairing the barn roof, fence maintenance and moving drain pipe at the H3 Horses Healing Heroes farm as part of United Way’s Day of Caring on September 14.

Community Transit volunteers, Pete Juozapaitis, Steve Winecoff and son Andrew Winecoff mending a broken fence.

In October, the United Way Campaign team held a variety of events to raise money for United Way including waffle feeds in four Community Transit worksites and the annual Community Transit Silent Auction.  This year’s auction received over 100 items donated by Community Transit staff members including a Crepe Breakfast for 10, a BBQ for up to 20, autographed Seahawk memorabilia, lots of amazing gift baskets, handmade crafts and more.  We finished off the campaign with a Prize Wheel and a Grand Prize drawing for a one-night stay at Hotel Max in downtown Seattle and a $75 MasterCard gift card for all employees who submitted an annual pledge to United Way.

Members of the Community Transit United Way Campaign Team serve up 

piping hot waffles with all the toppings to hungry employees.  

Community Transit employees scramble to get last minute bids in the Silent Auction.

Customer Relations Director, Bob Throckmorton, demonstrates the prize wheel.

Thanks to the generous employees at Community Transit who made pledges, gave donations to the auction/prize wheel and came out and participated in our events we raised over $47,250!  That is $2,250 over our 2013 goal.

And a special thanks to our Community Transit United Way Campaign Team that dedicated their time to making this great campaign possible.

United Way Campaign Team co-chairs, Sue Masel and Diane Kinnear, take a moment to enjoy all their hard work.

Community Transit and United Way: Strength In Community

Earlier this month, Community Transit kicked off our 2013 United Way campaign, Strength In Community, by participating in the United Way of Snohomish County Day of Caring on September 14 at H3 Horses Healing Heroes in Monroe. 

Some of the Community Transit volunteers 

stop a moment to pose for a picture.

H3 Horses Healing Heroes is a non-profit organization for wounded military personnel, past and present.  Through equine assisted psychotherapy, horses are used as a tool to facilitate healing from:

• Combat Trauma

• Post-Traumatic Stress Injury

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Military Sexual Trauma

Over 25 Community Transit staff and family volunteers assisted with repairs and general maintenance including cleaning, repairing the barn roof, fencing maintenance and moving drain pipe.

Community Transit employees, Michael Shea, Tony Smith and Pete 

Juozapaitis, clean up a pasture at the H3 farm in Monroe

“We felt that the wounded warrior project was not only an opportunity for us to lend our skills and effort, but also a chance to honor our veterans for their selfless service,” said Sue Masel, Co-Chair of the Community Transit’s United Way Team. “Pairing horses in the healing process was especially appealing to us.” (Monroe Monitor)

The team met some new friends at the Day of Caring event!

Arlene Gibson, owner of H3, said “the day was exciting, awesome and humbling. I was a little scared but everything went beautifully.  If you ever need your faith in humanity restored, just witness the volunteers from Community Transit who signed up for United Way’s Day of Caring, helping H3 with our numerous projects. They came with their hands and hearts.” (Monroe Monitor)

.

Community Transit volunteers, Pete Juozapaitis, Steve Winecoff 

and son Andrew Winecoff mending a broken fence.

Check out this article in the Monroe Monitor to learn more about the event and the work H3 does in the community.

All the hard work really paid off!