More than a Meal: Addressing Food Insecurity in Northeast Spokane

Gonzaga University's Zag Dining Sodexo has partnered with local community nonprofit If You Could Save Just One (IYCSJO) to help address food insecurity among youth and families in Northeast Spokane. Through this partnership, hundreds of families and youth have received access to warm, nutritious meals, meeting a basic need that directly supports their well-being and ability to engage in programming.

The partnership began around 2019-2020 through Gonzaga's Center for Community Engagement, when IYCSJO connected with Zag Dining Sodexo to launch an initiative called Project in a Bag. Originally created during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program provided youth with snack bags containing items such as apples and bananas, along with hands-on STEM projects. At its peak, Project in a Bag reached around 200 youth per week who were experiencing food insecurity.

As community needs grew, the partnership evolved beyond snack distribution. Zag Dining Sodexo began providing larger quantities of food, including warm meals and fresh ingredients, allowing IYCSJO to serve entire families during the holidays. Over time, the number of meals expanded significantly from several hundred per year to around 650 meals projected in 2026. Food donations have included items such as turkeys, hams, salmon, fruits, and vegetables, which were distributed quickly to families in need throughout the neighborhood.

Natalia Gutierrez, founder of IFYCSJO, shared that food insecurity has a direct and visible impact on the youth they serve. Many participants rely heavily on school meals and often have access only to packaged or microwavable food at home. "A fresh, warm meal helps them go home with a full belly," she shared. Because IYCSJO operates as a drop-in program, youth who are not in school or do not have food at home are able to come in and receive support in a safe, trusted environment. "It's hard to ask but since they have relationships with the staff they can ask us." Beyond nutrition, meals provide a sense of comfort and stability. "Having dinner on the table is one less thing for families to stress about," she explained. For many families, food access is about more than calories, it's about help, consistency, and knowing that someone in the community cares. The accessibility of IYCSJO's location, combined with food delivery options, helps remove barriers for families who may otherwise struggle to seek assistance.

Meals also play a critical role in youth development and program engagement. Staff frequently see youth arrive hungry, and food is often the first priority before any activities can begin. Providing balanced meals with protein and warm food helps regulate energy, improve behavior, and increase participation. In addition, youth learn responsibility and life skills through budgeting, walking to meal location, and helping clean up, reinforcing healthy life habits.

Looking ahead, IYCSJO hopes to expand efforts to reduce food insecurity through deeper community collaboration. Ideas include partnerships with local grocery stores, cooking classes, and community meals that bring families together. These goals align closely with Gonzaga's broader commitment to addressing hunger across Northeast Spokane through long-standing partnerships with Sodexo ZagDining and the Center for Community Engagement.

That commitment was further strengthened by the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, which awarded the Center for Community Engagement's Campus Kitchen a $2,500 Stop Hunger Community Grant in support of its mission to recover food, reduce waste, and strengthen community. During Hunger and Homelessness Week, Sodexo ZagDining also championed hunger-relief efforts by facilitating round-up register donations at Iggy's Market. Together, these initiatives generated $3,300 to support local work to stop hunger, demonstrating the power of collective action.

Campus Kitchen, a flagship hunger-relief program at Gonzaga, plays a vital role in this ecosystem. The program recovers surplus food from campus dining and mobilizes student volunteers to transform it into healthy meals delivered to low-income senior housing, after-school programs, and shelters throughout Northeast Spokane. Since 2005, Campus Kitchen has recovered more than 124,000 pounds of food, grown over 4,000 pounds of produce, and served more than 340,000 meals. Today, 76 volunteers prepare and serve meals at Logan Elementary, The O'Malley Senior Center, and Gonzaga Family Haven.

Together, partnerships like those with IYCSJO, Sodexo ZagDining, and Campus Kitchen highlight how coordinated community engagement can meet immediate needs while building long-term food security for families across Northeast Spokane.