News & Events
WAFOOD food security survey now open to WA residents
Revised 10/9/24: This post was revised to remove links to an earlier survey that is no longer active. Please visit the WAFOOD project page to find the latest links to current surveys and information.
A third wave of the WAFOOD Survey is now active, and asks all Washington State residents over the age of 18 to provide information on their household food access, economic security, and emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier findings gathered in June and July 2020, found that 30% of WA households were food insecure, and of these households, 59% included children.
Data updated in the second round of the survey conducted in December 2020 and January 2021 identified that reliance on food assistance has risen in WA from 29% before COVID-19 to 42%.
A series of reports already published by the research team, which includes members from the University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition, Washington State University, and Tacoma Community College, also provide county-specific results by zip code, as well as statewide reports.
Researchers involved in the project expect this new round of data will continue to help provide important insight to the State and community and government organizations currently responding to the ongoing pandemic.
Recent stories and coverage
- For many King County families, food aid ‘not nearly enough’ as need spikes in pandemic – Seattle Times, June 2021
- Reliance on food assistance programs on the rise in Washington State – University of Washington Nutritional Sciences, May 2021
- How the UW food pantry has adapted to rising food insecurity in the state – University of Washington The Daily, February 2021
More information about the project
July 15, 2021