Month-long effort will help fill school lunch gap during summer months

(Seattle, Wash., April 15, 2011) – Throughout May, PCC Natural Markets (PCC) will host food drives at all of its nine neighborhood locations in King and Snohomish Counties. Specially marked donation bins will be set up inside each PCC store. These special food drives will help nourish kids who don’t have access to school-supplied meals during the summer months and whose families are served by food banks that partner with PCC in its year-round food bank program.

According to the “Communities Count Report” (September 2010), most school districts within King County, Wash. alone experienced an increase in the percentage of students qualifying  for free or reduced-priced meals between 2009 and 2010. In Seattle, the largest K-12 school district in the state, 42 percent of students qualify. Families must have incomes at or less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for free lunches; families at or below 185 percent qualify for reduced-price lunches.

PCC’s food bank partners – and items most in need – include:

Beneficiary food banks:

• Redmond Hopelink Food Bank
• Kirkland Hopelink Food Bank
• Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank
• Westgate Chapel Food Bank
• Greenwood Food Bank
• University District Food Bank
• Family Works Food Bank
• West Seattle Food Bank
• Jewish Family Services – Morris Polack Food Bank 

Top 10 requested items:

1. Canned and boxed meals
2. Grains
3. Pasta and sauce
4. Canned/dried beans
5. Canned fruits and veggies
6. Shelf stable milk
7. Cooking oil
8. Nut butter and jam
9. Toiletries
10. 10.  Cereal