YAKIMA, WASH. — Kwik Lok Corp. provided $100,000 in grants to four nonprofit organizations as part of its ongoing philanthropy program. Organizations chosen for grants are working on food justice, food access and educational programs in the Pacific Northwest. They demonstrate inspirational efforts that align with Kwik Lok’s ongoing commitment to unlock opportunity, improve well-being, protect resources and foster innovation.

“Kwik Lok has been working diligently to grow our impact and transition from a traditional, financial return-focused company to a company that embraces positive impact, community engagement and problem-solving as a core to our business operations,” according to Kwik Lok co-owners Stephanie Jackson, Kimberly Paxton-Hagner and Melissa Steiner. “By supporting these important organizations, Kwik Lok aims to help make vital changes in our communities.”

Kwik Lok continues to support organizations that are working to meet the challenges of food security, food justice and inequity through support of Black farmers and communities that have a history of being disproportionately impacted by economic stresses and lack of access.

The Black Food Fund, an organization founded and led by a collective of Black women, works to gather resources and fuel transformative change in the food system of the Pacific Northwest. A $25,000 grant will enable the Black Food Fund to implement the second round of the Black Farmer Fund in 2022. It will provide funding for Black farmers and land stewards across the Pacific Northwest, including those who have disabilities, are femme, gender-nonconforming, trans, queer, poor and/or working class, immigrants, refugees and hold other intersecting, marginalized identities.

Clean Greens aims to make organic produce widely available and easily accessible to all people in their community located in Seattle’s Central District. To support this work, Clean Greens will receive a $25,000 grant to support activities related to their youth farm and education curriculum.

Rainer Beach Action Coalition (RBAC) is a grassroots, Black-led organization in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle that is devoted to locally driven development. RBAC will receive $25,000 to support staffing salaries for the Farm Stand Team and an entrepreneurship program as part of the Food Justice Fellow Program, and the farm stand food distribution program, which supplies low-cost/free food to people in need.

Heritage University, located in the lower part of the Yakima Valley, empowers a multicultural and inclusive student body to overcome the social, cultural, economic and geographic barriers that limit access to higher education. Rooted in the homeland of the Yakama Nation, the university embraces transformational student-centered education that cultivates leadership and a commitment to the promotion of a more just society. 

Eighty-five percent of the student body are the first in their families to attend college. Kwik Lok’s grant of $25,000 will provide funding to support a staff person to oversee a new student and community foodbank, which will supply much-needed food and sundry items for students and community members. It will also provide $5,000 loan forgiveness for three students involved in STEAM programs.