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WA organization to hold emergency food distribution event at Tacoma Dome

By
Published  October 29, 2025 8:27am PDT
Tacoma
FOX 13 Seattle
WA emergency food distribution for people in need

WA emergency food distribution for people in need

In Washington state, nearly 1 million people rely on SNAP benefits but those benefits will be paused on Nov. 1

The Brief

    • Due to the federal government shutdown causing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to expire on Nov. 1, nearly 1 million Washington residents who rely on the federal funds face a critical food shortage.
    • In response, the Making A Difference Foundation and Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank are hosting an emergency, no-registration-required food distribution event at the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday to support impacted families.
    • Additionally, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the state will shift nearly $2.2 million weekly to local food banks to help mitigate the loss of federal support until SNAP funding is restored.

TACOMA, Wash. - With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits set to end next month, a Tacoma organization is hosting an emergency food distribution event to provide additional support for thousands of Washington families.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced earlier this week that, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, no SNAP benefits will be issued on Saturday, Nov. 1. Nearly 1 million people in the state rely on the federal SNAP program, and about $37 million of federal funds go to households every week. 

Tacoma organization steps in

What we know:

The Making A Difference Foundation, along with Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank, will host a free community event at the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday to help families impacted by the benefit cuts. 

The emergency food distribution event is scheduled to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parking lot A. Pre-registration is not required and anyone planning to attend can drive through or walk up to receive boxes of food. 

Tacoma Dome ((Bruce Englehardt // CC BY-SA 2.0))

What they're saying:

"We are seeing families who have never needed food bank support before now finding themselves in crisis," said Ahndrea Blue, Founder and President/CEO of the Making A Difference Foundation. "Eloise’s Cooking Pot was built for moments like this—to be there for our neighbors when they need us most. No one in our community should go hungry."

What you can do:

The organization is also asking the public to help by volunteering, donations or food distribution. 

This includes: 

"Our community has always risen to meet hardship with compassion," said Blue. "Together, we can ensure every child, senior, and family has access to nutritious food and hope in this difficult time."

State government response

What's next:

On Tuesday, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced that the state will shift nearly $2.2 million per week to help support the state's food banks.

"President Trump and Congressional Republicans have shut down the federal government," Governor Ferguson said. "As a result, Washingtonians are going to lose access to federal SNAP benefits. We’re working to mitigate these harms until the Republican-controlled Congress gets the government running again. I’m grateful for the hard work of local food banks and pantries to help people keep food on the table. If you’re able to support your local food bank, either with donations or volunteering, I encourage you to do so. We’ll keep looking for innovative solutions at the state level. President Trump needs to tell his party to stop playing political games and do their jobs."

Ferguson said he will direct the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services to shift funds to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, which provides grants directly to food banks. According to his office, the first transfer will be made on Nov. 3 if a budget deal is not reached, and transfers will continue until SNAP funding is restored. 

The Source: Information in this story came from a press release from Making A Difference Foundation and Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank, the Office of the Governor of Washington State, original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Alejandra Guzman and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website.

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