For over 45 years, Solid Ground has helped our community overcome crises – and we’re here now to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our COVID response is strengthened by amazing support and rapid-response funding from community partners. We’re all in this together, and we’d like to acknowledge some of our many partners in this work.

Seattle Foundation

As the COVID-19 pandemic reached our community, the Seattle Foundation mobilized philanthropy to establish a COVID-19 Response Fund. They recently announced their first cohort of awardees, generously granting Solid Ground $50,000 in flexible funding – enabling us to provide increased leadership, support, and additional services to our community at this critical time.

The funding supports our Food System Support (FSS) team’s efforts to bolster Seattle’s emergency food system to address unprecedented demand caused by the pandemic, and the redeployment of Solid Ground Transportation (SGT) drivers to deliver meals to people in need from South King County all the way to the Canadian border.

Here’s how it’s working: Our FSS team sorts and delivers bulk food and sanitation supplies to 24+ food banks and pantries across the city. SGT partners with King County Metro’s ACCESS to deliver prepackaged food to people in need and provide additional transportation support for school meal programs, senior centers, and shelters. (View this King 5 interview with SGT Director Kari Ware: King County Metro Access buses start delivering food to those in need | king5.com.)

This funding also supports our Stabilization Services’ increase of flexible assistance fund disbursement to meet significant community need brought on by loss of income, illness, and other effects of the pandemic.

United Way of King County Home Base

United Way of King County Home Base partnered with our Stabilization Services to disburse $500,000 in rental assistance for community members struggling to pay April rent. Our teams are working hard with dedicated volunteers to process hundreds of applications – all funds were allocated in just one week!

With more than 1,200 requests in the first four hours of the fund application’s opening, Solid Ground – along with our Home Base partners – recognize the need across our community far outpaces available resources. The Home Base program is also currently one of the only rental assistance resources for undocumented community members – representing a critical need.

As May rent quickly approaches, we anticipate the need for rent support will continue to compound. While the application process is currently paused, if you or someone you know is impacted by COVID-19 and behind on rent, check your eligibility and sign up to receive notification when the fund reopens on UWKC’s Get Help with April Rent webpage.

Other community & corporate superstars

• F5 Networks granted $10,000 to provide technology support for our staff who are working from home.
•  Liberty Mutual Foundation granted $10,000 for COVID-19 Response Support.
• OneLife Community Church and Chef Edouardo Jordan’s Community Kitchen, sponsored by The Lee Initiative and Maker’s Mark, are providing amazing dinners to our Sand Point Housing campus.
• Safeway gave 67 $50 gift cards to Sand Point Housing residents.
• Sponsors for our Recipe for Change Lunch-IN initially agreed to invest in an in-person event. Thankfully, ALL of them maintained their support as we pivoted to a virtual one. Thanks to all of our generous sponsors, but especially to … Presenting Sponsor Whole Foods Market and Change Maker Sponsors The CoHo Team of Windermere Agents, Microsoft, and Sprague Israel Giles Insurance.
• Toys for Kids provided laptops to make sure students at our Broadview Shelter and Transitional Housing could keep up with their virtual schooling. Also, Degh Tegh Community Kitchen donated personal care items – and the NW Mask Brigade donated personal masks for Broadview residents and staff!
• Theo’s Gyros, one of our 2019 Food Truck Taste Off vendors, donated meals last month to keep our essential Solid Ground Transportation (SGT) drivers fueled – and The Confectional donated 140+ mini-cheesecakes to SGT as well!

We are grateful for and inspired by our generous partners’ leadership and the overwhelming community response to this crisis, making it possible for Solid Ground and our partner providers to address our region’s urgent, basic needs. For more information, contact Grants Manager Alexandra Weeks at 206.694.6801 or alexandraw@solid-ground.org.