WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A coalition of Whatcom County food banks are asking for $2 million from the county to combat rising food insecurity.

The Whatcom County Food Bank Network requested the additional funding in a presentation to the Whatcom County Council during their Tuesday meeting.

The network is made up of 13 independent nonprofits across the area, including in Bellingham, Lynden, Blaine, Ferndale and Lummi Island.

Bellingham Food Bank Executive Director Mike Cohen noted in the presentation that 9,000 households visit Whatcom County food banks each week, which has more than doubled since 2021. Cohen says the food banks will spend $5 million to distribute more than 8 million pounds of food to families in this year alone.

He says the urgent need for more funding has risen because the banks’ COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are running low.

“All of those funds are being used for food purchases right now and we know that they are ending in the near and emerging future,” Cohen said. “We are here to talk to you about the reality that thousands of families across Whatcom County are going to face if they come to the food bank when those ARPA funds are gone.”

Cohen added that the Food Bank Network is also trying to draw interest from individual cities within the county on receiving more funding.

Council member Jon Scanlon said the county council could partner with cities to help the network.

“Maybe there’s a way to have a few of us to sit down with some of the other cities to see if we can scrounge together some funds,” Scanlon said. “We’ve had some very sobering budget conversations here … but that might be a way to collaborate.”

Twin Sisters Mobile Market, which serves communities in east Whatcom County, also asked for $200,000 in funding for food access programming during a following presentation.

The council did not taken action on either request during Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting.