Food Security

The City’s Department of Youth and Family Services (YFS) continues to focus on food security for all Mercer Island residents. Beginning 4/1/2024, YFS Food Security programs are diversifying. Our partnership with Hopelink provides fresh, shelf stable, and frozen foods as the primary food resource provided by YFS as we shift away from the pandemic-era distribution of grocery store gift cards. There are three ways for any resident experiencing need to access FREE food from Hopelink:

Hopelink Mobile Market

The Hopelink Mobile Market will visit the Mercer Island Community and Events Center (8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island, WA 98040) parking lot on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 1:00pm-4:00pm. Food provided typically includes a selection of rice, pasta, beans, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned meals, canned protein, cooking oil or butter, fresh fruits and veggies, choice of rotating frozen protein, eggs, and weekly featured items.

Hopelink Bellevue Market

For Island residents with larger families who are able to travel off Island, the Hopelink Bellevue Market (14812 Main Street, Bellevue, Washington 98007) is a free shopping market with a wide selection of fresh, shelf stable, and frozen food and provides food scalable to the number of people in a household. More information on how to enroll and Food Market hours are available at https://www.hopelink.org/locations/bellevue/.

Hopelink Home Delivery

Hopelink offers a home delivery service for home-bound residents. For information on how to enroll, please fill out the contact form on Hopelink’s website or reach out to the YFS Confidential Voicemail at (206) 275-7657 to receive assistance from a YFS case manager.

Additional Resources

There are additional resources available locally and regionally for those experiencing need. YFS also provides additional food security resources for those in crises or experiencing emergent situations. To access these services, please reach out to the YFS Confidential Voicemail at (206) 275-7657 to be connected with a YFS case manager.

Residents in need of other emergency financial or employment assistance can also contact the YFS Confidential Voicemail at (206) 275-7657 or call King County Crisis Connections at 2-1-1. The 2-1-1 service is a free, confidential, referral and information helpline that connects people of all ages to local health and human services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Donations

YFS Food Security programs rely on donations to fund operations. Check and cash donations can be mailed to YFS at 2040 84th Avenue SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040. To donate in person or if you have any questions, please reach out to Marina Gonzales, YFS Programs Coordinator, at marina.gonzales@mercerisland.gov or (206) 275-7743.