Seattle eateries pitch in with local nonprofit Lifelong for Dining Out For Life

On Thursday September 30th, nonprofit PNW Lifelong will be the recipient of a huge national fundraiser in Seattle, Dining Out For Life.

For this event, dozens of Seattle restaurants will offer a portion of their proceeds from sales that day to Lifelong, which has seen a massive surge in need for community nutrition assistance recently. In fact, in the first two weeks of the pandemic, Lifelong saw food-related applications increase by 486%, rental allowance applications increased by 137%, and across all social services, daily applications have more than increased compared to pre-COVID rates doubled in 2020.

CEO Claire Neal said Lifelong was founded in response to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.

“Our community was unwilling to sit back and watch friends, partners and neighbors die of AIDS, so they fought back and mobilized against injustice,” she said.

As HIV went from a fatal infection to a chronic disease, Lifelong also adapted and evolved, shifting its work and programming focus to meeting community needs and supporting people living with a variety of life-threatening diseases .

“Now we work every day to remove stigma, build authentic relationships, and take care of the whole person,” said Neal. “Our unique model helps a person identify which barriers stand in the way of their best health, creates a unified support system, connects them to vital resources and basic needs, and empowers people to take control of their own health.”

According to Neal, the pandemic has exposed the many health inequalities that are widespread in our systems.

“Due to systemic injustices, color communities are disproportionately negatively affected,” she said. “For many people, the pandemic has also shown how easily a roof over their heads, a healthy diet or access to health care can be dispensed with. Many families have seen how their living conditions have changed dramatically with the pandemic and now need support and care in their previous form. “Not before.”

Over the past year, Lifelong has also seen a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking services such as medically-tailored meals, rental assistance and case management. 19 help too.

Through its food and nutrition program, Chicken Soup Brigade, the nonprofit distributes bespoke meals and food packaging.

“We believe that food is medicine and that it is important for people to have access to food that is not only nutritious, but feels right at home and fits their cultural background,” said Neal. “With this growing need, we are expanding our services to provide additional culturally relevant meals and food packaging to a wide variety of groups including Latinx, East Africans, Vietnamese and other communities.”

Every year, Dining Out For Life invites restaurants to get directly involved in philanthropy in their communities. And for Lifelong, Seattle’s nonprofit recipient, it’s one of the biggest annual fundraisers. This year’s initiative is more important than ever, said Neal.

“During this time of COVID, the need for nutritious food, safe living and compassionate support has outweighed our resources. We need community support to fill the funding gap. We understand this has been a tough year for restaurants and we are honored that “so many have shown themselves to be contributing to the life-saving work of Lifelong to help our community.”

Off Alley, a 12-seat restaurant in the heart of Columbia City’s historic district, will be one of the participating venues. When describing the restaurant, which opened on August 1, 2020, Chef Evan Leichtling said: “We work with local farmers and emphasize seasonal products and offal. We have a blackboard style menu with shared plates that changes a little every day. “

Leichtling has long been familiar with Dining Out For Life and has cooked at various participating restaurants in Capitol Hill over the years. So why was it important to include your own venue?

“We have been fortunate to have tremendous community support since our doors opened and we really admire what Lifelong has been committed to,” he said. “We’ve learned in the last year or so, a little is a lot, and we’re glad to have the opportunity to help in our little way.”

“Now more than ever, fair access to health care is paramount,” he added.

“There are many ways to get involved with Lifelong,” said Neal. “By supporting Lifelong’s mission, you can help us address health inequalities and respond to the dramatic increase in hardship since the pandemic began. You can join Dining Out For Life or become a supporter by joining our Bread and Butter Club or by volunteering. However you choose to get involved, we look forward to having you as part of our lifelong family! “