Food and Home: Giving Clients a Taste of Culture in the Face of Food Insecurity

EMBARC and our local partners have come together to make sure our community has access to food - and not just any food! Read more to learn about how EMBARCs pantry is unique from others.

With food insecurity rising during COVID-19, EMBARC and Vineyard Church -  long time partners in providing direct services to the community - decided it was time to expand to meet needs. Together they worked to set up first a food delivery program and then a monthly pantry that would be open to everyone.

The community was grateful to have a resource to turn to during such a stressful period.

EMBARC and Vineyard Church were able to use their resources (EMBARC a multilingual and connected team, and Vineyard sheer manpower and a stable location) to ensure that those who were otherwise missed by local COVID resources did not fall through the cracks. The pantry continued operating utilizing a combination of grant funds, COVID resources, and church donations until grant and COVID funding ended in 2022, leaving no choice but to close services.

In 2024, when a small grant opportunity presented a way to reopen a food pantry, the team suggested moving the location to Franklin Jr. High, where the EMBARC office is currently located. This would create a centralized location for clients and community members visiting our office. Whatsmore, the team decided to revise the types of food being offered at the pantry.

Traditional pantry options selected often focus on non-perishables in boxes or cans. Many of these items were unfamiliar to the refugee and immigrant communities being targeted, leaving them without knowledge of how to cook the item and unable to read the instructions in English on the cans. Through strategic food selection and partnerships with local Burmese food stores, EMBARC and Vineyard Church knew they could change the status quo.

After logistics were finalized, the first pantry went live on Thursday, April 25th. EMBARC’s pantry items were unique and special to the community, from rice to fish sauce, and included many produce items. With the support of EMBARC staff, Vineyard Church volunteers, and Empigo Academy volunteers, the team was able to serve over 80 households.

The community food pantry is planned for every fourth Thursday of the month from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Franklin Jr. High in Room 148.

As the number of households being served continues to increase, EMBARC and Vineyard Church hope to expand operations so that every family has food on their table.

And you can be a part of this amazing effort too! Consider a monetary donation which goes directly to continuing our programming, such as the monthly food pantry. Or if you want to get your hands in on the action, we are also always looking for volunteers. If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering with us, please email volunteer@embarciowa.org

We also had the pleasure of Channel 5 interviewing us about our pantry. Check out the clip below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1aJMaa4XTs