205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
509-962-7515 healthpromotion@co.kittitas.wa.us
The Kittitas County Public Health Department (KCPHD) wants to increase access to healthy foods. By increasing access to healthy foods, residents can eat healthier wherever they live. As part of that work, KCPHD currently facilitates the Food Access Coalition for Kittitas County.
The Food Access Coalition’s mission is to engage local programs and agencies in advancing access to healthy foods in Kittitas County. Members from across the community come together to create partnerships and coordinate efforts to ensure that all Kittitas County residents have access to food and food resources.
The coalition meets on the second Monday of each month from 10:30am to 11:30am in the KCPHD Conference Room. Anyone is welcome to attend. Call the health department to get connected.
Currently, members of the Food Access Coalition for Kittitas County include representatives from:
Coalition members are involved in a variety of local efforts related to improving access to healthy foods in Kittitas County. Some projects are coalition-led efforts and some are led by other organizations and supported by the coalition. Currently the coalition is focusing on the following projects:
The Food Access Coalition created the Food 4 You Resource Guide for YOU! This guide has information to help everyone connect to local food and food assistance programs in Kittitas County. These include food banks and pantries, meal assistance programs, farmers markets, and community gardens.
Although updated each year, the guide may not include all resources in the county. We ask that community partners send updates or suggestions to the coalition.
Each June the Food Access Coalition partners with Dietetic Program interns from Central Washington University to provide marketgoers with information on food assistance resources and nutrition education. Free nutrition activities for kids, food access educational resources for families and individuals, and healthy snacks are provided.
The 2020 Food Access Day will take place on Saturday, June 20th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Ellensburg Farmers Market. More details to come!
In 2007, the director of the FISH Food Bank approached staff at the health department about how to get more healthy foods, especially fresh produce into the food bank. With an obesity prevention grant, staff started consulting with others in the community about how to increase access to healthy foods in our community and, in May 2007, the coalition was born.
For more information about access to healthy foods, nutrition education, and resources, please visit KCPHD’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education page.
