together bags of food for community members in need. Photo courtesy of the Urban
League.
By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
Throughout the current COVID-19 Pandemic that we are experiencing, there are people throughout the community who are exercising an innate and selfless concern for the well-being of their neighbor and those in need.
One such example are those who are providing food and assistance to the general public, particularly our seniors who, according to medical experts, are the most vulnerable population in our community to the pandemic.
The Central Area Senior Center, Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank in Tacoma and Jimaine Miller, a local chef in the Central Area, are just a few organizations/individuals that are doing their part to aid those in need.
For years, the Central Senior Center, located in Seattle’s Central District, has provided meals for seniors in their community dining program, where seniors could come and congregate over home cooked meals. However, because of social distancing restrictions put in place by Gov. Jay Inslee the center had to adapt the program into a takeout and delivery service, so that their members can still receive hot and nutritious meals
“We have two programs that are happening,” says Selah Brown, the center’s administrative manager. “Normally we have a program called community dining where people can come and buy lunch and sit at the center so since that is not the case, we started first with takeout. It is a hot meal prepared by Chef Anthony Herts that they cook and pack up so people can come and pick it up.”
“We also started a program where we also deliver those meals to people who are home bound or who can’t get out and we deliver those meals on Tuesdays and Fridays,” added Brown.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Center serves what they call their “Soul Food” giving seniors a taste of culture. According to Brown, Chef Anthony prepares a plethora of different soul food menus, giving folks a meal they are used too, but are unable to acquire due to COVID-19 and the lockdown that stifles their movement.
The center also provides delivery through volunteers, which include the delivery of groceries. The grocery services are provided with the help of Safeway along with the volunteers from the Central Area Senior Center and Family First of Renton, a community center located in Renton, Washington who has offered their support.
According to Brown, in an effort to maintain safety protocols, the center’s director Dian Ferguson provides all employees and volunteers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to help keep everyone safe and healthy.
“I think this is a vital program particularly because there are not a lot of other senior centers that can provide home cooked meals, most are providing food which is wonderful, but from my understanding we are the main center in this area that is providing a home cooked meal every day,” says Brown. “We are reaching a lot of seniors that wouldn’t normally get food, as we have a lot of people that are new to the program or haven’t come in for a while.”
Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank is also providing food assistance in the Pierce County and beyond and is doing what they can during this time of need. In response to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, The Making A Difference Foundation (MADF) announced the Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank in Tacoma is now offering home delivery food services and pick up services to essential healthcare workers who are on the frontlines of the crisis in Pierce County.
Under its founder Ahndrea Blue, who is also the founder of the Make A Difference Foundation in Tacoma, Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank has been providing food for the Pierce County area’s most vulnerable populations since 2009. So, it was no surprise that Blue stepped up to the challenge that faces our community during the COVID-19 crisis.
Because of the epidemic and the dire straits communities are finding themselves in, it has fallen on the shoulders of people like Blue to use their influence and resources to help those in need.
“There are few people who are placing personal risk aside and doing more to protect us than healthcare workers at the forefront during this time,” says Blue “They are working long hours in stressful conditions and we want to make it as safe and easy for these workers to access the food they and their families need. We, as a community, are in this together and it is important to support and care for one another.”
Another unsung, civil servant is Jimaine Miller aka the Def Chef, who manages Soulful Dishes located in Seattle. Miller has taken it upon himself to lend his services in providing home cooked meals for anyone who needs them, particular those frontline workers who are putting in countless hours on the frontlines and are unable to get home and provide meals for their families since the virus hit Seattle.
Since 1998, Miller has been using his culinary talents to help those in need. The current pandemic crisis only intensified what Miller was already doing. According to Miller, because of the pandemic food banks have already been pushed to the limit and many people don’t have access to hot meals, so he and a few other chefs came together in order make sure people in the community are able to eat a proper meal.
“Right now, we are dealing with a lot and we need boots on ground types of services,” says Miller. “One of the first rules in war is you need to maintain sustenance and I am here to provide and to make sure that [frontline workers] do not have to rely on just non-existent services to assist you.”
Community service is a vital part of any community. It is what bonds the members of a community and in times of crisis community service and the concern and caring for others is crucial if society is to survive.
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle is also doing what they can to help the community cope with coronavirus. The Urban League has taken on providing food assistance to seniors as well as anyone who needs it.
They have partnered up with a number of different organizations, including the Emergency Feeding Program, to assist and provide to vulnerable populations as well.
“We have partnered up with senior living facilities like the Southeast Seattle Senior Center whom we partnered with several chefs,” says Linda Taylor, Vice President, Housing and Financial Empowerment. “We also partnered up with a food bank, and the Emergency Feeding Program that assist in delivery.”
There are resources available and people caring for the well-being others in the community. And, with all that is going on with the COVID pandemic caring for each other is paramount to the survival of our communities and the people that make up our communities.
“We serve people with no judgement, we are all in this together,” says Blue. “From the CEO to whoever. You don’t need a reason. I’m the “no questions” food bank, I don’t need to hear the story, you don’t have to have a reason, just show up and I will serve you.”
