Seattle to give $5 million in grocery vouchers to families in need

With restaurants and shops closing, many Seattleites are forced to deal with the burden of putting food on the table. To help alleviate some of the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City will provide $5 million in grocery vouchers to help families impacted by the coronavirus.

On Monday, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced, in a release, that the new voucher program will provide 6,250 families with $800 vouchers to purchase food, cleaning supplies, and other household goods at Safeway stores in Washington.

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The mayor’s $5 million grocery voucher program will be distributed by the Office of Sustainability and Environment in two installments to families who are currently enrolled in City-supported child care programs and food assistance programs.

Durkan is hoping that they’ll be distributed as early as this week.

“In this time of uncertainty, having food on the table is one way that families can keep things feeling normal. I am immensely grateful to the grocery workers who are vital to making this possible by coming to work every day and serving our communities during this crisis,” said Council President Lorena Gonzáles in a statement.

This is the latest addition to a serious of actions that Mayor Durkan has implemented this past week, including deferring utility payments and a temporary moratorium on residential evictions.

“We have entered an unprecedented era for our City. Too many families are already struggling, and COVID-19 virus has disproportionately affected the communities who can least afford it,” said Mayor Durkan. “As we take steps to slow the spread of the virus across Seattle’s communities, a part of that response is to ensure that families are not displaced and forced into homelessness.”