Partner Spotlight: CISC
By Jade Fisher, Communications Specialist
Ballard Food Bank is a dynamic environment. With tens of thousands of visits each month and around 30 partner organizations, there is no shortage of conversations, appointments, and movement. To prepare for the day's incoming bustle, Ballard Food Bank staff and partners meet in the Resource Hub 15 minutes before the food bank opens.
On Tuesdays, Celina and Lucia from the Chinese Information and Services Center (CISC) join the daily meeting. CISC is a non-profit offering multi-language support services, advocacy and referrals. Its mission is to bridge cultures and communities by creating a sense of belonging and opportunities for immigrants across Western Washington. CISC staff offer resource assistance at Ballard Food Bank in Chinese every Tuesday and in Russian and Ukrainian on the first Tuesday of each month.
The food bank has seen a massive increase in clients whose primary language is Chinese since last July. In the first half of 2023, we averaged 5 new Chinese-speaking clients a month. In 2024 the numbers have continued to increase, now averaging 48 new Chinese-speaking clients a month. As we strive to create a welcoming, intentionally inclusive environment, this partnership helps us serve clients from diverse backgrounds in culturally appropriate ways. The CISC social workers have been able to both help us explain food bank policies as well as general navigation of government benefits and community resources in multiple languages.
Lucia and Celina, two social workers with CISC, are enjoying their time providing assistance, building relationships within our vibrant community, and learning more about the landscape of community resources in our city.
"Doing a social work job and helping people is the essence of everything", Lucia says. Celina chimes in to add, "I enjoy all the research. That's my personality. How much you want to help and how much you want to know. You can just search it up and provide the information to people and they are so grateful"
Celina in the Hub office room explaining paperwork in Mandarin.
Celina and Lucia help to fulfill the most urgent needs of our Chinese-speaking guests. The most popular resources Lucia and Celina have been helping folks with are health insurance and food stamps. As the partnership continues, they are seeing fruitful and deeper relationships budding with Ballard Food Bank clients. Initially, Lucia recalls getting shorter term questions, "How do I register to shop?", "How can I apply for food stamps?"
As trust builds, Lucia says people are letting her know what's happening with their families, in their personal lives, and are able to help with more complex case management. For Lucia, personally, her work is all about the long-term relationship and embodies the Ballard Food Bank belief that we must commit to centering relationships and meeting people where they are in the moment.
Celina also pops into the market from time-to-time to help Chinese-speaking guests communicate with non Chinese-speaking guests. She helps facilitate conversations, big and small, asking about where someone got certain produce or what they might use their ingredients to make. She'll help clear up rules for new visitors who may not know you should bring your belongings with you as you shop. She'll even hang out in the line outside to make sure everyone has questions answered before they enter.
Lucia describes Ballard Food Bank as a "healthy organization" for its good atmosphere and devoted staff. She has learned about many different organizations in healthcare, eviction support, and more through her time at the food bank which she passes on happily to guests.
Maddy, Client Relations Specialist, says this partnership has already proven incredibly valuable. "In their first official visit as a formal provider through the hub, they interacted with 42 people in just one day! Outreach covered a wide range of topics including how to vote, income limits for EBT and general SNAP information, property taxes, Medicaid, Fresh Bucks, and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program application."
Lucia, Celina, and their colleagues are invaluable additions to the Tuesday morning meetings. Where staff and partners connect over resources and share updates for the community at large, we know that CISC is reaching our clients and helping us create a more inclusive Ballard Food Bank. We are so excited to continue seeing the impact this partnership will have.