Attain Housing, a local non-profit that recently partnered with Hopelink, has provided transitional housing for families throughout the Eastside of Lake Washington since 1989. While gardening is not the focus of their programming, food access and security is a huge part of their commitment to help families exit poverty and gain self-sufficiency.
In King County, fresh, local food can be prohibitively expensive for some families. Many immigrant and refugee families struggle to find culturally appropriate food. That’s where the idea of installing gardens at Attain Housing sites came from. Gardening is a way for tenants to produce food for themselves, develop important skills, connect with the environment, and take one more step towards independence.
In 2023, Attain Housing was awarded $7,000 from KCD’s Community Agriculture Seed Money Grant to install gardens at two of their locations. While they didn’t have a dedicated gardener on staff, they had passionate case workers and garden enthusiasts who championed the project. KCD staff provided technical assistance and advice on the garden setup. Attain Housing staff hosted volunteer work parties to install metal raised garden beds at both locations. They also created welcoming gathering areas with picnic tables to make the gardens an accessible space where families want to spend time. A drip irrigation system was installed to make watering the beds easier and conserve water during our dry summer months.
For the plants themselves, Attain Housing participated in KCD’s Culturally Relevant Seed Start program, in partnership with Tilth Alliance, Seattle University, and The Food Bank Farm. This program provides hard-to-find seeds and seed starts for free to gardens serving immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC gardeners. Some of the plant starts they received include holy basil, cilantro, edamame, bok choy, long purple eggplant, and cucamelons. This program helps lower the financial barrier to access these culturally relevant plants, many of which are difficult to get started without the warmth of a greenhouse.
Now families have a place where they can get their hands in the dirt, connect to the earth in their new home, and grow food that they want to eat. Being able to participate in our food system, even in small ways, equips people with a sense of agency and ownership of their health and well-being. We are all active participants in our food system.
If you’re interested in creating a garden with the community you’re a part of, King Conservation District can help. No gardening experience required , just a will to care for the earth and grow together.