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Nonprofit FareStart Makes Meals for Those in Quarantine and Isolation Due to COVID-19

After closing its Downtown restaurant, the kitchen is ramping up other efforts

by Gabe Guarente
A worker wearing latex gloves washes a squash.
Nonprofit FareStart has used its services to feed the homeless and those in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FareStart [Official Photo]
Part of What (and How) to Eat in Seattle During the Coronavirus Pandemic

As Seattle continues to deal with repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic, one nonprofit in the food scene has shifted resources to address the emergency. Seattle’s FareStart — which offers restaurant service jobs training to people struggling with poverty, addiction, homelessness, or a criminal record — closed down its Downtown restaurant temporarily March 13. But it’s now using that kitchen, as well as three others, to make meals for shelters, quarantine and isolation centers in partnership with King County, and facilities housing a population that’s particularly vulnerable to the novel coronavirus.

FareStart’s has temporarily paused its job training for students, while ramping up its other services. Over the past two weeks, the nonprofit says it provided more than 34,000 meals to Seattle area shelters and isolation facilities, redeploying staff. It also plans to increase this effort in the coming weeks, trying to scale up to 15,000 meals per day.

This week, FareStart is also scheduled to begin providing meals to new childcare sites for youth who are low income or are children of COVID-19 first responders in partnership with Alliance for Education.

In order to comply with CDC and King County health regulations, FareStart tells Eater Seattle that — in addition to increased sanitary measures — it is using its kitchens and part of the now-shuttered restaurant space to provide social distancing for students and chefs. Most of the meals are delivered via drop-off, and are then distributed by the individual facilities and shelters.

Earlier this year, FareStart closed its South Lake Union restaurant Maslow’s, but retained the kitchen for catering services, along with the cafe Rise on Amazon’s campus, the aforementioned flagship restaurant downtown, and the FareStart Café in Beacon Hill. Rise and FareStart Cafe are now closed temporarily, along with the FareStart Restaurant, but all plan to reopen eventually.

What (and How) to Eat in Seattle During the Coronavirus Pandemic