ACRS Food Bank moves to new location in Chinatown-International District

SEATTLE – The ACRS Food Bank is responding to the growing need for culturally relevant food for people experiencing hunger in the Seattle metropolitan area and throughout King County by moving to a larger, newly leased space in the Tsue Chong Building in the Chinatown-International District, just blocks away from its previous location.

At around 5,500 square feet, the new location at 800 S Weller Street is 10 times the space of its longtime home in the trailer on South King Street. The new food bank plans to offer clients grocery store-style shopping where they can more independently self-select the food they need. It also includes expansive storage space, two walk-in freezers, and a large sorting area for staff and volunteers to operate its remote feeding and home delivery programs in the future. Larger administrative offices will allow its community resource hub to provide better support for clients in accessing needed services. Besides nutrition, ACRS programs cover medical check-ups, senior wellness, behavioral health, rent and cash assistance, youth development, job training, immigration assistance, and more. The new food bank will be open to the public on Fridays 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. starting February 11.

“After over 20 years in a cramped trailer at South King Street, we are delighted to move into a much larger space to better address hunger, food insecurity, and access to culturally relevant food in our community,” said ACRS Director of Aging and Adult Services Director G De Castro, who oversees the ACRS Food Bank. “The new space will allow us to offer an enhanced experience for those accessing food bank services and resources, even as we search for a permanent home for the food bank.”

The ACRS Food Bank’s top priority is to ensure the community has regular access to nutritious foods familiar to the Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander diets. During the pandemic, the food bank and senior meal program saw a 200% increase in demand, going from providing 600-700 food bags per week to home delivering over 2,100 bags.

ACRS remains a community-driven organization, thanks to the efforts and support of more than 1,000 volunteers each year. Volunteers donated over 850 hours at the ACRS Food Bank to help distribute over one million pounds of food in 2021.  View all our open volunteer roles on the ACRS volunteer page at acrs.org/volunteer.

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