For thousands of children in Bellevue, the school meals are a reliable source of food. One in four children in the Bellevue School District experience food insecurity and depend on school-provided meal support to get the nutrition they need.
When the school day ends—and especially when school is out for extended seasonal breaks—families who are already stretched thin often face greater financial strain.
To close that gap, Bellevue LifeSpring’s Breaktime-Mealtime program provides grocery store food vouchers that replace meals missed during school breaks, ensuring children continue to have access to the nutrition they need when school meals are unavailable.
A Community Invested in Preventing Childhood Hunger
This summer, Bellevue LifeSpring is expanding the program’s impact through partnerships with community organizations and foundations committed to preventing childhood hunger.
This summer marks the launch of an exciting new partnership with Bellevue-based grocery chain Quality Food Centers (QFC), making vouchers redeemable at any QFC location in King County. The partnership increases convenience for families, expands access to culturally relevant food options, and helps ensure more children can receive consistent nourishment during school breaks.
Preventing hunger for thousands of children takes a community willing to invest in solutions that help families access food when they need it most. The Stocker Foundation and The Aven Foundation stepped up and made leadership investments in Breaktime-Mealtime, demonstrating what is possible when foundations and local businesses come together around a shared goal.
This June, a total of 4,058 students received Breaktime-Mealtime vouchers for summer nutrition support.
Choice at the Center
At the heart of the Breaktime-Mealtime program is a commitment to family dignity and choice. Rather than providing pre-selected food items, the program empowers families to purchase groceries that reflect their children’s preferences, dietary needs, and cultural traditions.
With vouchers now accepted at any QFC location in King County, families have greater flexibility to shop closer to home and access a wider variety of foods that meet their unique needs.
Brent Stewart, President of Quality Food Centers, shared his perspective on the partnership:
“This past spring, I had the privilege of joining Bellevue nonprofit Bellevue LifeSpring to talk about a shared priority: ending child hunger in Bellevue,” shared Stewart. “I’m proud that QFC is the new partner for their nutrition voucher program, helping more than 4,000 students access food during school breaks. With more neighborhood store locations, a broader range of cultural food options, and our financial commitment to reinvesting in the program, we’re ready to help expand its impact. Thank you to the Bellevue LifeSpring team for the meaningful work you do.”
Meeting a Year-Round Need
Food insecurity doesn’t follow the school calendar. Children need consistent access to nutritious food to learn, grow, and thrive, and interruptions caused by hunger can affect every aspect of a child’s well-being and educational success.
Partnerships like the ones with QFC, The Stocker Foundation, and The Aven Foundation enable Bellevue LifeSpring to continue and expand nutrition support and better meet the evolving needs of our community.
Bellevue LifeSpring Executive Director Jennifer Fischer put it simply:
“Ending childhood hunger in Bellevue takes all of us. The impact of this program is a reflection of how local businesses and partners can be powerful allies in addressing food insecurity, through financial investment and by bringing their reach and resources to meet families where they are.”
Neighbors helping Neighbors
Addressing childhood hunger requires a community-wide commitment. Through the generosity of investors, volunteers, corporate and community partners, Bellevue LifeSpring continues to work to build a Bellevue where every child’s basic needs are met so they can focus in the classroom, succeed in their education, and thrive.
Breaktime-Mealtime is one of the ways we work alongside our community to make that vision a reality.
Join us in building a Bellevue where every child has access to the support they need, and invest in our mission today.
