The Whidbey Community Foundation (WCF) today announced the launch of the Whidbey Food Resilience Fund, a coordinated community response to the growing food insecurity facing island residents following the recent reduction in federal SNAP benefits.
The new Fund—seeded with $50,000 with Board approval from WCF’s discretionary reserve—will provide rapid, equitable grants to food banks, meal programs, and other community-based organizations, ensuring that Whidbey residents have reliable access to nutritious food during the holiday season and beyond.
“Every donor who has ever given to our Foundation Fund helped make this new effort possible,” said Jessie Gunn, Executive Director of the Whidbey Community Foundation. “The Whidbey Food Resilience Fund allows us to respond quickly and collaboratively—supporting the organizations feeding our neighbors right now, while strengthening the long-term network that keeps Whidbey nourished.”
A Coordinated Community Effort
The Fund builds on WCF’s proven COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund model, which distributed over $450,000 in rapid-response grants during the pandemic. As with that initiative, the Whidbey Food Resilience Fund emphasizes partnership, transparency, and shared leadership among community organizations, funders, and local government partners.
“We opened the Whidbey Food Resilience Fund because our island is once again facing an impossible situation—rising food insecurity just as public supports are shrinking. During COVID, we saw how powerful it can be when our community pools its resources and responds together. This Fund builds on that same spirit of collaboration and care—ensuring our local food providers have what they need to keep every Whidbey household nourished,” said Gunn.
Supporting Local Food Providers
Initial grants will focus on core food-access organizations across Whidbey Island—including food banks, community meal programs, youth backpack and school-based nutrition efforts, and other initiatives addressing food insecurity.
A portion of the Fund will also support smaller or emerging efforts, such as church-based and seasonal meal programs, through a simplified mini-grant process.
“This Fund is meant to work alongside, not in place of, the incredible generosity already directed to Whidbey’s food providers,” Gunn added. “By coordinating resources, we can help fill gaps and reach ALL of the community efforts that are essential to keeping our island nourished.”
Complementing, Not Replacing, Direct Giving
WCF emphasized that this Fund is not intended to replace donors’ direct contributions to local food banks and food-serving organizations. Instead, it offers an additional, coordinated option for those who wish to help meet island-wide needs equitably.
“We encourage continued giving directly to our local food banks, pantries, and meal programs,” Gunn said. “This Fund simply adds another tool to ensure resources reach across all parts of Whidbey, including smaller grassroots and faith-based efforts that might otherwise be overlooked.”
Ongoing Coordination and Transparency
WCF will work with food-access partners across North, Central, and South Whidbey to identify needs, collect data, and distribute funds equitably. A full list of funded organizations will be shared following the Fund’s first round of grant distributions, expected later this month.
The Foundation will continue to maintain and share an updated list of food-serving organizations and meal programs to ensure broad visibility and public accountability in how resources are coordinated.
How to Contribute
The Whidbey Food Resilience Fund is open to contributions from individuals, families, businesses, and community groups.
To donate or learn more, visit WhidbeyFoundation.org, email info@whidbeyfoundation.org, or call 360-660-5041. The Foundation accepts donations by credit card, check, and gifts of securities. Checks can be made out to “Whidbey Community Foundation” with a note in the memo for “Food Resilience Fund” and mailed to PO Box 1135, Coupeville, WA 98239. Credit card payments can be made following this link: Whidbey Food Resilience Fund.
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About Whidbey Community Foundation
Whidbey Community Foundation was founded in 2016 by long-time community members. Our mission is to improve the quality of life on Whidbey by: providing support for the nonprofit sector, assisting donors to build and preserve enduring assets for charitable purposes, and meeting community needs through financial awards. Visit WCF’s website www.whidbeyfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information.