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10 NORTHWEST HARVEST COMMUNITY REPORT 11

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

Here at Northwest Harvest, we know that fighting hunger care, and economic stability in order to move the needle
requires more than just feeding the hungry. We know that on ending hunger in Washington. In these ways, we are
eliminating hunger requires addressing its root causes in poverty working to build a healthier, hunger-free Washington.
and disparities. “If we ever wish to collectively end hunger,
Advocacy on behalf of low-income people has always been part
of Northwest Harvest’s work. In 1967, when Northwest Harvest we must seriously look at ending each
was founded, advocates identified the problem of hunger in practice that widens opportunity gaps.”
our streets, then built the coalitions and partnerships between
organizations and community resources to help those in need. We are proud to have a leadership role in the Anti-Hunger &
Our community organizing continued throughout the years. Nutrition Coalition and are a long-standing member of the
In 2009, we first launched our Public Policy team to boost our Western Regional Anti-Hunger Consortium, the Washington Food
advocacy efforts in the halls of Olympia and Washington, D.C. Coalition, and other advocacy groups. We work to raise public

Northwest Harvest actively engages in advocacy to promote consciousness about the extent of hunger in Washington—
investment in the public structures that aid in our fight and that it takes the combined efforts of both charitable
to eliminate hunger by promoting access to nutritious giving and public safety net services to eliminate hunger.
food and economic security for low-income families. Our As Northwest Harvest CEO Thomas Reynolds explains, “Hunger
leadership regularly provides input to both our state and does not manifest itself due to an equation of too many people
national elected leaders on hunger issues. We also work to and not enough food. The fact is, there is plenty of food to feed
improve access to safe, affordable housing, quality health us all. The primary reason hunger exists here at home is because