Many know Spice Bridge as home to our Food Business Incubator where people can come and experience food from around the world all while supporting immigrant and refugee chefs in launching their businesses. But did you know about our Community Meals program? Each week, Spice Bridge chefs cook up hundreds of meals that are then delivered to food insecure community members in need. Our Community Meal program is double the impact –culturally-appropriate meals are provided to those in need at no cost and the local food economy is supported by purchasing meals from our start-up BIPOC and immigrant/refugee chefs. Community supporting community.
Thanks to grant funds from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Food Assistance Program and a partnership with Seattle Good Business Network’s Good Food Kitchen Network, Spice Bridge chefs are cooking up to 350 meals each week. Our community partners, such as SHAG and International Rescue Committee (IRC), help ensure meals are delivered directly to the community’s doorstep. SHAG home-delivers the meals to seniors while providing a check-in during a time of isolation. IRC has ensured delivery of halal meals to arriving Afghan refugees in transitional housing—providing the comfort of familiar dishes in a new home.
COVID-19 has exacerbated food insecurity in our communities. We are committed to improving the emergency food system, empowering the local community, and connecting those in need to multiple resources. Stay tuned for more updates this year as we expand this program, explore more partnerships, and connect with more food insecure individuals in our community.