3841 NE 123rd Street
Seattle, WA 98125
Photos © Melissa Lehuta
Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) began as a committed group of volunteers based at Lake City Presbyterian Church. The group created Friday lunches for Operation: Sack Lunch from 1998 to 2005. In early 2005, Operation: Sack Lunch stopped serving outdoor meals in response to the closure of the city-sanctioned downtown serving site. Because alternative services were not available, HIP increased its efforts; providing 120–150 bagged lunches on the corner of Third Avenue and Yesler Street three times per week.
The program was chartered in 2005 as Hunger Intervention Program by Lake City Presbyterian Church to meet the continuing need for healthy, sanitary and wholesome meals to be delivered in a dignity-preserving fashion to a specialized population in downtown Seattle. Many of those served by HIP could not qualify for other shelter meals or navigate up the hill to obtain food from the sanctioned City of Seattle outdoor meal site. Many were wheelchair-bound, mobility-impaired, elderly, developmentally disabled, or drug- or alcohol-impaired.
In 2007, HIP took its program indoors, eventually serving a hot or cold breakfast everyday to clients of DESC, a major shelter in downtown Seattle. In 2008, HIP joined the City of Seattle's Emergency Food Bulk Buy Program. HIP's Vice President of Operations sits on the executive counsel for the program.
Hunger is one of the many unfortunate side effects of and contributors to homelessness in Seattle. To achieve its vision of ending hunger by collaborating with community partners, HIP's programs aim to empower low-income and other economically and socially disadvantaged individuals by providing nutritional meals and basic cooking skills in a dignity-preserving fashion where clients' cultures are celebrated and respected. HIP's current programs include:
In addition to these programs, HIP participates in Meals Partnership Coalition (MPC), a group of over 50 meal providers from human service agencies, churches, businesses, schools and civic groups that provide no- or low-cost meals in King County. MPC provides assistance in program management, training, education, referrals and information. Its monthly meetings provide networking for food providers and a forum for group advocacy for the homeless and the hungry. HIP joins in voicing concern for and seeking answers to the shelter, food, and medical needs of the homeless. HIP is part of the Northwest Harvest Hunger Response Network of food banks and meal providers in Washington State, and an agency of Food Lifeline. HIP most recently joined Community Kitchens Northwest, a small but growing umbrella organization for Community Kitchens in the Northwest.
HIP is a non-profit corporation of the State of Washington (UBI 602-878-400). HIP is designated a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service.
HIP Board members serve as volunteers to oversee the program and to link HIP with other community action groups working to solve the problem of hunger in our community. Board members include practitioners of law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy science, clinical and public health microbiology, nutrition, accounting, hospital administration, and marketing. Many board members have commercial or large-scale cooking experience.
Program Manager:
Board of Directors:
Hunger Intervention Program is grateful for the support received from many sources:
Your continued support provides healthy meals and much needed community/nutrition services to the homeless and hungry in Seattle.
A Hunger Intervention Program participant describes his experiences in the Community Kitchen.
A Community Kitchen participant describes his positive experience in the program.
© 2011 Hunger Intervention Program | 3841 NE 123rd Street, Seattle, WA 98125 |