Hopelink, the largest social services agency serving east and north King County, has launched its annual “End Summer Hunger” fund and food drives.

Hopelink officials say the recession has sent an alarming number of families deeper into crisis, or into financial distress for the first time. Hopelink’s food banks served 22 percent more households in 2009 than in 2008 and the need continues.

The proceeds from End Summer Hunger will stock Hopelink’s five food banks for the high-demand summer months when subsidized meal programs at schools are not available and parents need more food to fill their children’s stomachs.

End Summer Hunger donations also support Hopelink’s homelessness prevention programs for families. In 2009, the End Summer Hunger campaign raised more than $160,000 in cash and more than $120,000 in food donations.

Nearly 15 percent (over 14,000) of the children in school districts in Hopelink’s service areas in north and east King County qualify for free or reduced cost breakfasts and lunches during the school year. Even with the help of these at-school meal programs, parents of those children struggle to meet their families’ nutrition and other basic needs.

When the subsidized meal programs are not available, parents experience an even greater strain on their already stressed household budgets, and rely much more heavily on food banks to provide nutritious food for their children, Hopelink officials say. Families with two working parents or a single parent who works must also find ways to pay for summer daycare for younger children, further straining the family budget. This strain sometimes even leads to an inability to pay rent or the mortgage, putting the family at risk for homelessness.

The grassroots End Summer Hunger campaign began March 1 and ends August 31, and seeks support from schools, individuals, businesses and organizations. This program is particularly important because donations to Hopelink historically drop during the summer.

Schools that support the program encourage children in classrooms to collect coins, while businesses, organizations and civic or community clubs hold food drives, fund drives, or both, according to what works best for them.

Expedia is the presenting sponsor for End Summer Hunger 2010. Additional sponsors include Univar, First Tech Credit Union, Labor Ready, Tecplot, Nintendo of America Inc., Pacific Construction Systems, Signature Landscape Services Inc., Door-to-Door Storage, Concur Technologies, Inc. and BECU.

Those interested in becoming a sponsor can contact Kristina Kenck at KKenck@hope-link.org

For information on how to get involved in End Summer Hunger, go to the Hopelink website.