Washington State Senator Patty Murray has secured $800,000 for United Way of King County’s Home Grocery Delivery program as part of a multi-million dollar funding package for projects across Washington state.

Murray, the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led the Senate’s passage of five fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills to underscore her effort to protect Washington state programs and investments in areas such as health, education, food access, and affordable housing.

United Way of King County launched its Home Grocery Delivery program during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when in-person food assistance was largely unavailable. Through partnerships with Amazon, DoorDash, and dozens of King County food banks, the Home Grocery Delivery program reimagines the emergency food system to better serve all our neighbors, including low-income and households of color.

The program has completed more than 900,000 deliveries, making it one of the busiest food bank delivery services in the nation.

Murray’s funding for our Home Grocery Delivery program will help United Way continue to provide nutrition in a county where, according to United for Alice data, 38 percent of households in Washington lack the resources to meet their basic needs. This aligns with what we’re seeing on the ground: Demand for emergency food continues to climb, with food bank visits increasing by 11% each year.

Murray said in a prepared statement that funding for United Way’s program “helps fill a crucial gap in food security.”

United Way applauded Murray’s efforts to secure funding for Washington state and support our safety nets.

“Home delivery fills a critical gap in our food system for households who can’t easily access traditional food banks in person,” said Sara Seelmeyer, United Way Sara Seelmeyer, Director, Ending Hunger.

“At a time when federal nutrition programs are facing increasing pressure, this investment ensures that seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children can continue to access healthy food with dignity,” Seelmeyer added. “This investment will allow United Way and our partners to strengthen and scale a model that’s deeply responsive to community needs, so that food access isn’t determined by disability status, transportation, or ZIP code.”

To learn more about United Way’s Home Grocery Delivery Program and our other food security work, log onto UWKC.org/what-we-do/investments/food-security.