Located in the heart of Scriber Lake High School, the Scriber Lake Grocery Store is more than just a food bank for essentials — it’s a hub for learning, connection and equity. Operated by students and staff in the school’s Life Skills pre-vocational programs, the store offers students a unique opportunity to gain valuable workforce skills while supporting the entire school community.

Located in Edmonds, Scriber Lake is a small, alternative-learning high school of approximately 200 students in the Edmonds School District.

The Scriber Lake Grocery Store offers various items, including perishable and non-perishable foods, hygiene products and clothing. Items are donated by several community organizations, including the Edmonds Food Bank. Accessible to all students and staff, the grocery store promotes an inclusive environment that meets tangible needs and fosters social and emotional connections.

According to a 2023 report produced by Washington State’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, “People with disabilities in Washington are employed at less than half the rate of people without disabilities. The employment-population ratio for people with disabilities ages 16 to 64 was 37.1%, compared to 75% for people without disabilities.”

This stark statistic underscores the importance of programs like those at Scriber Lake, which equip students with disabilities with transferable job and life skills early on.

“What this tells us is that people with disabilities have a far harder time obtaining employment,” said Christanna Fatty, a level II paraeducator who helps support and coordinate the Scriber Lake Grocery Store.

“Exposing people with disabilities to skills needed in the workforce early allows a better chance for them in their adult life to be ready for being an active, working participant in society. The Scriber Lake Grocery Store provides an opportunity for transferable learning and life skills.”

“My favorite thing in what has developed has definitely been the inclusion for all,” Fatty said. “The store is for everyone, and many utilize it. It crosses between teachers and [paraeducators], students with special needs and their general peers, old and young, the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots,’ and so much more. It has become an equal, common positive experience.”

In addition to serving as a resource hub, the Scriber Lake Grocery Store is a training ground where students gain hands-on experience in workplace dynamics. From inventory management to customer service, students practice essential skills in a supportive environment while interacting with staff and community volunteers.

“The partnership has been invaluable,” Fatty said. “It provides the resources to train in a real way, but it also exposes the students who are training to real interactions in a realistic way, as they see the food bank workers as their teammates and ‘co-workers.’”

— Story and photos provided by the Edmonds School District