Individuals and families living within seven zip codes were helped through our food bank, our emergency assistance program, and our residential wheelchair ramp program. Over 38,000 people were helped from June 2010 to June 2011.

The PSLA Food Bank is a vital resource for the community, and provides groceries and other necessities for between four to five hundred individuals every week. From June 2010 to June 2011, over 502,000 pounds of food were distributed to 37,100 citizens, including 6,500 children and 12,000 seniors. Since June 2011, the end of the above reporting period, the demand for food has increased substantially and the food bank is now serving as many as 300 people in one day. NW Harvest and Food Lifeline provide a little more than half of the food we distribute; the balance comes from food drives and donations.

In addition to the food bank, PLSA helped 938 people through our Emergency Assistance Program (Operation Shortfall) in 2010-11. Operation Shortfall helps by working to decrease living costs as well as by providing opportunities for economic and personal independence. We do this by facilitating access to such programs as the Seattle Public Utilities rate reduction plan and the SafeLink telephone program.

In partnership with IAM 751, PLSA has been building residential wheelchair ramps for disabled citizens since its founding in 1975. In 2010, PSLA partnered with the Regional Access Mobility Program (RAMP) in Snohomish County to extend our reach, increasing our ramp production from 15 to 85 ramps per year. The PSLA-RAMP program makes it possible for wheelchair-bound people to have the freedom and ability to access their homes unassisted.

PSLA is able to serve the Seattle community through the generous support of workplace charitable campaigns, unionmembers and organizations, United Way of King County, foundation support, and individuals like you. Resources are diminishing at the same rate – and even faster – as the demand for assistance is increasing. All health and human service agencies and providers are pushed to their limits. We are grateful to who serve their communities by partnering with the PSLA through volunteering, in-kind donations, and financial support.