Nonprofit provides online hub for food resources, supports food pantries in three counties
SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. (Oct. 31, 2025) — Responding to anxiety in the community about access to food, Community Action of Skagit County has compiled a list of all food resources in the county, and updates are pouring in every day. In addition, Community Action’s Skagit Food Distribution Center is coordinating getting more food to over 20 food banks, food pantries, and meal programs in Skagit County and the San Juan Islands.
The Skagit Food Resources hub is being updated daily as new resources come in, said Director of Community Engagement, Elizabeth Jennings. The webpage includes downloadable and printable lists of food banks, free meal programs and other resources such as information about WIC, SNAP, free food box deliveries to seniors, and more. See: www.CommunityActionSkagit.org/Food/
“Community Action’s three Resource Centers are open regular hours and are here to help families and individuals access ALL resources that are available for food, housing, energy assistance and more,” said Jennings. To get help, community members can call (360) 416-7585 weekdays.
Food resources include WIC, and households with children under 5 can still apply and receive benefits. Community Action is increasing senior food box deliveries from 260 to 300, with state funding and help from volunteer delivery drivers. Community Action is also still providing a Monday- Friday sack lunch program in rural East County with their partner Mount Baker Presbyterian Church.
According to Washington State’s Department of Social & Health Services, 15,744 Skagit County residents are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits on November 1.
“Community Action serves over 50,000 community members every year with information and personalized support to access food, housing, basic needs, employment and financial education,” Jennings said. “Now, those hardworking families, seniors and veterans are anxious about how to put food on the table and still pay rent.”
It’s a “gut-punch” for workers and those on a fixed income, Jennings said. “In Skagit County, 40% of our neighbors live below the ‘ALICE’ threshold: Asset-limited, Income Constrained, Employed.” That’s the amount of money to afford a bare-bones household budget to make ends meet each month, but not enough to save for the future or emergencies.
In Skagit County, 18% of the population lives in a food desert, with no easy access to grocery stores, and nearly 14% of children are food insecure, higher than state average. According to Northwest Harvest, food insecurity has spiked 60% in western Washington since 2021.
To address these needs, Community Action’s Skagit Food Distribution Center is stepping up, with the help of volunteers and donors. Located in Sedro-Woolley, the Food Distribution Center is the emergency food system backbone, providing food to most of the food banks in Skagit and San Juan counties. Community Action moved over 3.3 million pounds of food to regional food banks and free meal programs.
“We don’t run a public food bank, rather we help of them do more together than any of us can do on our own.” Community Action can purchase food pennies on the dollar, amplifying local generosity for all food bank customers, Jennings said.
“We also purchase nutritious local produce from Skagit and Whatcom farmers,” she said, adding that many farmers also donate products to area food banks through Community Action.
“The good news is, Skagit County residents are generous and stepping up,” Jennings said. “While the community can’t make up the void in federal food resources, donors are making a difference.”
Recently, the Skagit Valley Food Coop started the Feeding Change program for shoppers to donate at the register to the Food Distribution Center. The program has raised over $20,000 in the first two months, and the Coop board has pledged to match donations in October so Community Action can purchase more food for food bank customers.
For the most up-to-date Skagit Food Resources, go to: www.CommunityActionSkagit.org/food/
To learn more about Community Action’s Skagit Food Distribution Center, go to:
www.CommunityActionSkagit.org/skagit-food-distribution-center/
To donate, go to: www.CommunityActionSkagit.org/donate/