Food and dignity go hand in hand when it comes to our clients. YWCA Pierce County strives to bring dignity and healing to our clients in every avenue of our work – and we can’t do that without Feed 253. Today we’re talking to Feed 253 co-founder and director Heidi Stoermer about food insecurity and why Feed 253 dedicates their time to supporting local nonprofits with food support. In particular to YWCA, Feed253 cooks two monthly meals for clients and their children who are attending support groups and also supplies all of the Thanksgiving food for families we serve.
In this episode:
What a meal means – When Feed 253 gathers food to make Thanksgiving boxes for YWCA clients they don’t just include a turkey – rolls, butter, whipped cream, stuffing, green beans and pie! The significance of providing the same Thanksgiving experience as someone who isn’t fleeing violence is so important to all of us at YWCA. Bringing normalcy back to our clients and their children is a big part of healing in a way that also provides dignity. Just because someone is living in our shelter and doesn’t have financial security at that current moment does not mean that they deserve anything less than someone who has that security.
Made with love – Feed 253 brings so much intention to the meals that they make for YWCA clients – every meal is nutritious and balanced with a main course, sides and dessert (of course). They have also provided back-up meals for YWCA staff to prepare should a volunteer group fall through for a dinner. This intention and care shows our clients that they are important and that they matter to our volunteers.
Some other local groups doing incredible work with food security are the Emergency Food Network and Hilltop Urban Gardens (HUG).
From left to right: Jessica, Laine, Heidi and Claire.