Friends and members of our beloved community. 

After years of service, we regret to announce the closure of the FGS program. Several factors led to this decision, including the lack of a permanent space, financial resources, and a drop in food availability. In this post-COVID environment, we can no longer continue offering this service to our community.

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We explored many options to keep the program going, but a long-term solution is currently out of reach. While this is heartbreaking, we are proud of the impact we've made and the lives we've touched.

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For the past three years, we’ve partnered with St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, and we are deeply grateful for their support, as well as the help of their staff and volunteers. Since spring 2020, we’ve distributed nearly 3 million pounds of food and goods, thanks to 40-60 volunteers who gave their time every Monday. We operated in all weather, missing just 5 Mondays.

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Although it’s sad to see the Free Grocery Store pause, we take pride in the good it’s brought to our community. Our focus remains on Renton, food justice, community gardening, and sustainable practices. We’re working toward opening a permanent location to resume our services.

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To sustain this work, we need full-time staff in paid roles, but most grants don’t cover these needs. We’re now restructuring, searching for a building and stable funding. We will continue to seek support from government agencies, businesses, and local NGOs to further our mission.

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Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to the next chapter as we work toward a brighter, more sustainable future.

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With deep gratitude,

The Sustainable Renton Leadership Team