For thousands of children in Bellevue, the school cafeteria is a reliable source of food. In fact, more than 5,000 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 breaks—families who are already stretched thin often face greater financial strain. To help bridge 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 year-round.
This summer, Bellevue LifeSpring is expanding the program’s impact through a 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.
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.
The new partnership with QFC strengthens that commitment. 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.
QFC’s broad network of stores also offers greater access to culturally relevant ingredients and products, helping Bellevue’s diverse families find foods that are familiar, meaningful, and nourishing.
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.
Programs like Breaktime-Mealtime help fill a critical gap by ensuring families have additional support when school meals are unavailable. Partnerships like the one with QFC enable us to expand that 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 partnership with QFC reflects how local businesses can be powerful allies in addressing food insecurity, not just through financial investment, but by bringing their reach and resources to meet families where they are.”
This June marks the launch of the new partnership, with 4,058 students receiving Breaktime-Mealtime vouchers for summer nutrition support.
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.
