The project produced 266,000 non-perishable meals for Food Lifeline, which distributes food to people and families experiencing food insecurity in the Seattle area, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
A local service project on the anniversary
More than 800 people participated in Friday's gathering, held on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. FOX 13 reported that Washington Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins and Food Lifeline CEO Stephen Davis spoke at the opening. The event also included 9/11 survivor Anabel Quintero and representatives of Seattle's fire and police departments.
The Lumen Field project was one of 50 large volunteer efforts organized nationwide by 9/11 Day. Businesses, religious groups, schools, the Seattle Seahawks and other local participants helped pack the meals, according to FOX 13's report.
How 9/11 Day began
The nonprofit was established in 2002 by David Paine and Jay Winuk after Winuk's brother, Glenn Winuk, a volunteer firefighter and attorney, died while trying to help people at the World Trade Center. Global Heroes described that loss as part of the organization's origin.
The local need for food assistance
The King County Climate Dashboard reports that approximately one out of nine Washington households experiences food insecurity, while the rate in South King County is nearly twice the state average. Statewide, roughly 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 6 children face hunger, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
What the local data show
The available figures provide a measure of the need but do not establish how food insecurity changed specifically after pandemic-era aid programs ended. The King County Local Food Initiative's 2025 Food Access report says about 9.5% of adults in the county experienced food insecurity from 2018 to 2022. The report also says some South King County ZIP codes had around 30% of households receiving SNAP benefits as of August 2025, compared with 11% countywide, according to the report. Food Lifeline says its food-finder map connects people across Western Washington with free groceries or hot meals through food pantries, shelters and mobile distributions. In a separate flood response, the organization reported coordinating with partner food banks to keep supplies moving to communities that urgently needed them, illustrating the distribution role behind its regional network, according to Food Lifeline and its flood-response account.
