The Mission, along with a coalition of over 80 churches in the region, are working together to help feed families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past five weeks, the Mission donated over 210,000 pounds of food to 89 churches across 26 cities that helped feed over 10,800 struggling families. The Mission calls this effort, “Project 88,” a nod to the Mission’s 88 years of serving our homeless neighbors and those in great need.
“Since our founding, we have helped those struggling and those in crisis,” said Mission President Scott Chin. “Although our main focus continues to be serving our homeless neighbors, we felt called to support the local church as they serve thousands during this unprecedented time of crisis.”
For Project 88, the Mission provided food for local churches to redistribute to those in their community. Churches pick up food at the Mission’s Distribution Center in Kent and generally deliver to families within 24 hours.
“Churches are relationally driven and already serving families during the pandemic. We’re excited that the Mission could help support their selfless and critical work,” said Chin.
“We give away food every Thursday,” says Pastor Andre Sims of Christ The King Bible Fellowship in Federal Way. “With the need out there, our former food suppliers’ donations dried up. Not 24 hours later, we got a call from the Union Gospel Mission, a Project 88 request, asking if we need food.”
The Mission receives weekly food donations from generous vendors, companies and individuals, and more recently from organizations receiving USDA food box grants.
Visit ugm.org/wecare to find a church near you offering help with food or email us at church@ugm.org to find out how to get your church involved.
The Mission and Project 88 partners continue to follow strict health and safety guidelines to avoid the spread of and contamination of COVID-19.
