Connecting Kids to Three Meals a Day, Every Day
In Washington, 1 in 6 children face food insecurity. Rising food costs make it even harder for families already stretched thin to provide consistent, nutritious meals.
United Way works statewide to expand access to school meals, afterschool meals, and summer nutrition programs while connecting families to federal benefits like SUN Bucks (also known as Summer EBT) and SNAP. While we work across Washington, our largest investments are in King County, where we collaborate with school districts, community organizations, and state agencies to build a stronger, more coordinated child nutrition system.
There is no simple solution to solving food insecurity in our communities—but by maximizing cash benefits to relieve the financial burden of groceries, expanding federal child nutrition programs, and reimagining the emergency food system, we aim to move the needle closer to a hunger-free Washington.
We’re working to make sure that all kids in King County have the healthy food they need to learn and thrive—both during the school year and in the summer where the additional food costs make it hard for many families to make ends meet.
At a Glance
We developed and helped pass state legislation to expand access to universal, free school meals to 800,000 students in over 1,430 schools across Washington state
We support operations for 175+ Summer Meals Program Sites in King County served over 15,000 youth each day of the 2025 summer.
We help school districts to implement breakfast service for over 338,000 kids so they can learn better and thrive
Meeting the Need
Federal child nutrition programs are among our country’s most powerful tools to address childhood hunger, but Washington consistently falls behind other states in participation. That means thousands of children are missing out on school and summer nutrition programs, and millions in federal funding are being left on the table.
United Way works to close these gaps. We coordinate across school districts, community organizations, and state agencies, support program implementation, lead statewide outreach efforts, and advance equitable policy solutions, so that federal nutrition programs are fully leveraged to reach the kids they’re designed to serve.
School Meals
When students have enough to eat, they’re able to focus better, stay healthy, and succeed in school. United Way works with school districts across Washington to expand participation in federal school nutrition programs.
One of the most effective strategies to fight childhood hunger is making breakfast part of the school day through Breakfast After the Bell. This approach removes barriers like bus schedules, stigma, and busy mornings so more students can start the day with a healthy meal.
With support from United Way, over 400 schools in Washington now serve Breakfast After the Bell, reaching more than 150,000 students per day.
We also support the expansion of universal free school meals. Making school meals free for all students is a powerful step towards ending childhood hunger. Thanks to advocacy from United Way and our partners, more than 750,000 kids in Washington now have access to two free school meals every day. The impact is clear: more students are eating nutritious meals, families are saving money on groceries, and the stigma associated with free lunch is disappearing.
Afterschool Meals
After school can be a hungry time of day for kids. Afterschool meal programs provide free meals and snacks to students participating in academic and enrichment programs.
United Way works with schools and community partners to expand these programs across our region. We support new sites in getting started, providing technical assistance, and guiding partners through the federal program requirements that allow them to receive reimbursement for serving meals. By strengthening participation in existing programs, we bring more federal nutrition dollars into local communities and ensure more kids have access to meals during and after school.
Summer Hunger
When the school year lets out for the summer, many students lose access to the breakfasts and lunches they relied on during the school year. Summer nutrition programs—including free summer meals and SUN Bucks grocery benefits—help fill that gap, but in Washington, far too many children still miss out. According to the Food Research & Action Center, only about 1 in 7 children who received free or reduced-price lunch during the school year were reached by summer nutrition programs.
United Way works with schools, community organizations, and state agencies to expand summer nutrition programs and ensure families know where to access food when school is out. Our goal is simple: making sure every child can access food during the summer months.
Here’s how we do it:
Funding new meal sites
We provide catalyst funding to launch summer meal sites where kids need them most.
Connecting families to meals
We run a statewide outreach campaign and maintain a summer meals map and text line to connect families to free meal sites.
Supporting program implementation
We help local partners launch and operate meal programs and navigate federal requirements.
Expanding SUN Bucks access
We support outreach and implementation of the Summer EBT grocery benefit across Washington.
Advocacy in Action
United Way has supported efforts to strengthen child nutrition policy in Washington State for more than a decade. Working alongside schools, community partners, and statewide coalitions, we’ve helped develop and advance legislation that expands access to school meals and reduces barriers for students and families. Today, more than 750,000 students across Washington have access to two free school meals.
If you gathered all the kids benefitting from free school meals in one place, you would fill the Seahawks Stadium twelve times! That’s how many kids from our community will now eat free meals.
But the work isn’t finished. United Way continues to work with state leaders, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and school districts across Washington to ensure that every student in our state can access free, healthy meals at school.
Need Help?
Whether you’re unable to access your local food bank or can’t afford to stock your pantry right now, our team and resources can help so hunger is the last thing you and your family need to worry about.
Real People. Real Stories.
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Free Summer Meals is Back: Volunteers Needed June 13 to Help Families Access Food
United Way of King County is calling on community members to help spread the word about its Free Summer Meals
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Kids Enjoy Free Food All Summer With Free Summer Meals, SUN Bucks
This blog post was written by Kayla Dunn, United Way of King County editorial associate. When school lets out for
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United Way Free Summer Meals: Good Food and So Much More!
This blog post was written by Madeleine Vistica, United Way of King County food security program manager. We at United
Support Our Work
With hunger in our community on the rise, our goal is to connect people to food.