Washington food and reading campaign sees donation increases
Washington state’s Combined Fund Drive program saw an increase in donations for their 2025 Well Fed, Well Read campaign.
By Michaela Ely
The Well Fed, Well Read campaign from Washington’s Combined Fund Drive (CFD) saw nearly double the amount of donations this year than in 2024.
The CFD is a program run by the Secretary of State’s office for active and retired state employees to give to the charity of their choice through payroll contributions and agency fundraising events. The employees or retirees can then choose how to set up their donations which can be one-time or recurring donations.
The campaign occurred from April 1 to April 15 and saw Washington state employees donating more than 2,908 pounds of food, 6,901 books for children and $1935 to the Thurston County Food Bank and the South Sound Reading Foundation.
The Thurston County Food Bank was started in 1972 and was managed by representatives from local churches. They used space in the basement of the First Christian Church in Olympia to distribute food to community members. By 2014, the food bank was able to acquire a warehouse in Tumwater that became their regional distribution center and currently houses their administrative offices in Olympia and Lacey.
The South Sound Reading Foundation (SSRF) was launched in 2001 to respond to the needs shown by the National Children’s Reading Foundation, specifically with the goal of having 90 percent of students reading at grade level by third grade.
The SSRF has partnered with many organizations over the years and offers several services, including their book van that schedules visits to low-income housing areas to promote literacy. They also attend schools, after-school programs and community events. In addition, the foundation runs a program for families to order a free bag of books once a month in order to give children more books to read at home.
“Once again, state workers continued to go above and beyond their roles as public servants by offering critical nourishment and reading materials to one of our most vulnerable populations, children,” CFD Program Manager Robert Lane said in a press release. “By supporting Well Fed, Well Read?through the Combined Fund Drive, we’re helping to build a future where every child is ready to thrive.”
The campaign began in the 1990s with the Office of Printing starting a food drive to help the Thurston County Food Bank and the state lottery starting a food and book drive to benefit the SSRF. These two events were then combined in 2002 to create the Well Fed, Well Read campaign.
The campaign is also an opportunity for friendly competition between state agencies to compete and see who can raise the most donations. This year, the Department of Labor and Industries donated the most books with 1,549 books and the Department of Social and Health Services donated the most food with 711.68 pounds of food. The Office of the Secretary of State came in second for both categories and the Washington State Patrol was given the WOW Award.
“I am proud that my office coordinates and participates in a program that benefits so many people with an emphasis on benefitting children,” said Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. “One child in five is unsure where they will get their next meal, and reading just 20 minutes a day for a child promotes healthy brain development and family bonding. With the needs of our children growing in these unprecedented times, this drive for food and books is as important as ever.”
While the Well Fed, Well Read campaign occurs only once a year, support for both organizations occurs year-round with both volunteer and donation opportunities. To find more information on how to assist the SSRF or the Thurston County Food Bank, visit their websites.
